Lev Facher

My name is Lev Fasher, and I am a reporter at Stat covering substance use and the U.S. overdose crisis.

My name is Lev Fasher, and I am a reporter at Stat covering substance use and the U.S. overdose crisis.

My name is Lev Fasher, and I am a reporter at Stat covering substance use and the U.S. overdose crisis.

essentially that drug overdoses are declining and they're declining quickly. As of mid-2023, the running 12-month death count was about 111,000, more than 110,000 people dying in every 12-month period from drug overdoses. And now that number has dropped enormously. into the mid or even low 90,000 range. So obviously that's nothing to brag about. That is still a horrific level of death.

essentially that drug overdoses are declining and they're declining quickly. As of mid-2023, the running 12-month death count was about 111,000, more than 110,000 people dying in every 12-month period from drug overdoses. And now that number has dropped enormously. into the mid or even low 90,000 range. So obviously that's nothing to brag about. That is still a horrific level of death.

essentially that drug overdoses are declining and they're declining quickly. As of mid-2023, the running 12-month death count was about 111,000, more than 110,000 people dying in every 12-month period from drug overdoses. And now that number has dropped enormously. into the mid or even low 90,000 range. So obviously that's nothing to brag about. That is still a horrific level of death.

This is still a gigantic public health emergency, but fewer deaths is good.

This is still a gigantic public health emergency, but fewer deaths is good.

This is still a gigantic public health emergency, but fewer deaths is good.

Well, that's the thing. It's kind of a mystery. There's no one event that happened about a year and a half ago that would explain this sudden significant decrease in drug overdose deaths. So while there's a lot of optimism in the harm reduction and addiction medicine and recovery world, it's cautious optimism because people don't really know what's happening.

Well, that's the thing. It's kind of a mystery. There's no one event that happened about a year and a half ago that would explain this sudden significant decrease in drug overdose deaths. So while there's a lot of optimism in the harm reduction and addiction medicine and recovery world, it's cautious optimism because people don't really know what's happening.

Well, that's the thing. It's kind of a mystery. There's no one event that happened about a year and a half ago that would explain this sudden significant decrease in drug overdose deaths. So while there's a lot of optimism in the harm reduction and addiction medicine and recovery world, it's cautious optimism because people don't really know what's happening.

And some of the explanations would be good news. And counterintuitively, some of the explanations for reduced deaths might actually not be good news at all. I would say there are three main theories for why deaths might be decreasing.

And some of the explanations would be good news. And counterintuitively, some of the explanations for reduced deaths might actually not be good news at all. I would say there are three main theories for why deaths might be decreasing.

And some of the explanations would be good news. And counterintuitively, some of the explanations for reduced deaths might actually not be good news at all. I would say there are three main theories for why deaths might be decreasing.

The first theory is just that the types of drugs that Americans are buying on the street, that people who use drugs are consuming, are less toxic than they used to be. Now, there's not amazing data to support this idea, but as most Americans know, over the course of the last five or 10 years, fentanyl became incredibly prominent

The first theory is just that the types of drugs that Americans are buying on the street, that people who use drugs are consuming, are less toxic than they used to be. Now, there's not amazing data to support this idea, but as most Americans know, over the course of the last five or 10 years, fentanyl became incredibly prominent

The first theory is just that the types of drugs that Americans are buying on the street, that people who use drugs are consuming, are less toxic than they used to be. Now, there's not amazing data to support this idea, but as most Americans know, over the course of the last five or 10 years, fentanyl became incredibly prominent

So one plausible theory is that fentanyl concentrations are lower. The fentanyl analogs, the specific chemical compounds in drugs are less likely to cause overdose. But again, it's just a theory at this point. A second explanation is just that drug use behavior is getting safer, which is to say that people are using drugs more slowly maybe.

So one plausible theory is that fentanyl concentrations are lower. The fentanyl analogs, the specific chemical compounds in drugs are less likely to cause overdose. But again, it's just a theory at this point. A second explanation is just that drug use behavior is getting safer, which is to say that people are using drugs more slowly maybe.