Some 30,000 fewer people are dying every year in the U.S. from fentanyl and other street drugs. This shift has stunned addiction experts, reversing decades of rising death.
Drug overdose deaths, particularly from fentanyl, are plummeting in the US, with Virginia seeing a 40% drop and national deaths declining by over 26% since June 2023. Experts are unsure why, but theories include wider availability of overdose-reversing medication, weaker fentanyl potency, supply chain disruptions, rising use of less lethal animal tranquilizers, better access to treatment, a possible decline due to prior deaths of high-risk users, reduced pandemic-related impacts, and increased user skills in managing fentanyl use.
