"Drug deaths in the U.S. have plunged dramatically and steadily since the summer of 2023, according to the latest preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Figures released this month by CDC show fatal overdoses falling to 77,648 in the 12-month period ending in March of this year. That's the lowest tally of provisional predicted deaths from fentanyl and other street drugs since at least March 2020."
"Despite the prolonged decline in overdose deaths, dating back to the middle of the Biden administration, President Donald Trump has continued to base a range of controversial policies from trade tariffs to tougher criminal penalties on his claim that fentanyl poses a growing threat to Americans. Last month, Trump signed the "Halt Fentanyl Act," establishing 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of trafficking fentanyl."
Drug deaths in the U.S. dropped sharply and consistently beginning summer 2023, with CDC data showing 77,648 fatal overdoses in the 12 months ending in March. That figure is the lowest provisional predicted death toll from fentanyl and other street drugs since at least March 2020. President Donald Trump has pursued policies asserting a growing fentanyl threat, including the Halt Fentanyl Act creating 10-year mandatory minimums for fentanyl trafficking. Trump has also threatened military action against Mexico, imposed tariffs tied to alleged fentanyl roles, and blamed undocumented migrants. Medical experts say punitive sweeps and coercive tactics misunderstand addiction as a chronic illness.
Read at www.npr.org
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