NEW YORK (AP) — The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Wednesday. Agency officials noted the data is provisional and could change after more analysis, but that they still expect a drop when the final counts are in. It would be only the second annual decline since the current national drug death epidemic began more than three decades ago. Experts reacted cautiously. One described the decline as relatively small, and said it should be thought more as part of a leveling off than a decrease. Another noted that the last time a decline occurred — in 2018 — drug deaths shot up in the years that followed. “Any decline is encouraging,” said Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher who studies overdose trends. “But I think it’s certainly premature to celebrate or to draw any large-scale conclusions about where we may be headed long-term with this crisis.” |
Princess of Wales: Data watchdog 'assessing' Kate privacy breach claimsHong Kong down to earth designer Niko Leung crafts ceramics from construction wastePressure grows on Angela Rayner to quit as Labour deputy leader over housing row police probeHong Kong launches nightlife campaign to boost 'nightThousands of Russians join NavalnyOffering a chair to older colleague at work could count as age discrimination, judge rulesVOX POPULI: Rooting for the Sendai killifish that survived the 2011 tsunamiVOX POPULI: Manga artist exposes the juicy dynamics behind ‘oden’ factionsVOX POPULI: Celebrating the arrival of spring the same way as in ‘Tale of Genji’Clandestine lab found during search for 'dangerous' suspect in violent kidnapping