Deaths from fentanyl have minimal decrease; 204 daily victims were reported in 2023

Overdose deaths in the United States fell slightly last year, the first decline in five yearsaccording to preliminary federal data released Wednesday.

According to official information, fentanyl would have caused the death of 74,702 Americans in 2023 compared to 76,226 in 2022, according to new estimates released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the midst of this decades-long addiction crisis can be attributed primarily to a drop in deaths from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, said researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics, who compiled the figures.

But the full picture of the death toll from illicit drugs remains bleak. While deaths from opioids decreased, deaths from stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine increased. And some states, including Oregon and Washington, continued to see sharp increases in the total number of overdose deaths.

Generally, Fentanyl would have been responsible for almost 70 percent of the 107,543 total drug overdose deaths in 2023; The slight three percent drop in total drug overdose deaths sparked restrained optimism among U.S. officials.

Furthermore, those 74,702 deaths in 2013 translate to 204 daily fatalities throughout the national territory or almost 9 every hour, which translates into the worst drug-related public health crisis in the United States.

Still, Rahul Gupta, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) highlighted the progress, “We are committed to doing everything we can to continue building on this progress and to save lives. There is still much left to do”.

According to CDC data, The US states that recorded the most notable drops in drug overdose deaths during 2023 were Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana and Maine where estimated drops of 15 percent or more were observed.

“The decrease (in 2023) is a testament….to the work being done on the ground as part of a coordinated federal effort on prevention, services and harm reduction. However, this does not mean that we have accomplished our mission,” said Deb Houry, CDC’s chief medical officer.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Since 2019, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) have been the main producers of illegal fentanyl that reaches the US using chemical precursors imported mainly from China.

President Joe Biden has described the situation as a “tragedy” and his government announced in November a federal plan based on facilitating access to treatment for addicts and strengthening international cooperation.

Furthermore, despite the drop in deaths from fentanyl, the supply of the product continues at catastrophic levels according to the DEA; Just this week, a publicly funded study revealed that the total number of fentanyl pills seized in the US will exceed 115.5 million in 2023.

According to estimates presented this Wednesday by the CDC, although deaths from fentanyl overdoses fell, Cocaine and methamphetamine overdose deaths increased slightly, reaching 29,918 and 36,251 respectively.

Keep reading:
– DEA denies the “Chapitos” for allegedly stopping them from manufacturing fentanyl and describes it as a “publicity show.”
– Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, causes of the worst drug crisis in the history of the United States: DEA.