Why drug overdose deaths in the US are dropping fast

More than 100,000 overdose-related fatalities occur each year in the United States, so nobody doubts that the street drug supply is as lethal as ever.

But for the first time in decades, the US is seeing a sudden drop in drug overdose deaths, with surveys compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing a stunning 10.6% decline nationally this past year – an extraordinary shift following double-digit percentage increases during the pandemic.

They do not specify the causes, but if this trend holds, researchers from the University of North Carolina believe it could translate to 20,000 fewer overdose deaths per year.

To unpack the numbers, we turned to former New York City assistant health commissioner Dr. Daliah Heller, VP of Drug Use Initiatives at Vital Strategies, a global public health nonprofit organization.