US overdose deaths fell in 2023, still topped 100k

EMS responds to suspected overdose in Maryland

The "leveling of the overdose curve" is welcome but the death toll remained "historically high"

(Image credit: Alex Edelman / AFP via Getty Images)

published 16 May 2024

What happened

U.S. overdose deaths declined in 2023 for the first time in five years, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But last year's 107,543 fatal overdoses, while a 3% drop, marked the third straight year of more than 100,000 deaths.

The "progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts" to reduce drug-related deaths, said CDC chief medical officer Deb Houry. The "leveling of the overdose curve" is welcome but the death toll remained "historically high" and not enough people are being treated for their addictions, said Dr. Brian Hurley at the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

The report "did not offer reasons for the drop," led by a 3.7% dip in deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, The New York Times said. "But naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, has become more widely available," as have test strips to detect fentanyl.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.