CDC Says US Overdose Deaths Dropped, but Totals Are Still ‘Staggering’

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. decreased down in 2023 for the first time in years, the CDC says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on April 23, 2020. Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 2023 saw an overall decline in drug overdose deaths across the United States but still described the totals as “staggering,” according to a recent report.

Data from the CDC shows there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States last year, representing a 3 percent decrease from 111,029 deaths reported in 2022.