About 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2025, about 14% fewer than the previous year, according to preliminary government data.

It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades, according to recently released federal data. The 2025 total is about the same as the tally in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Declines were seen across several drug types, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Overdose deaths fell in the vast majority of states, although seven saw at least slight increases.

Full article: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-overdose-deaths-fell-policy-drug.html