U.S. drug deaths decline, hinting at progress against opioid crisis

Drug overdose deaths in the United States declined last year for the first time since 2018, provisional data released Wednesday showed, suggesting tentative progress in combating the opioid epidemic even as experts cautioned against premature celebration.

There were an estimated 107,543 such deaths in the country in 2023, down three percent compared to the year before -- with the decline driven by a drop in fatalities associated with the synthetic opioid fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).