USA. Opioid Deaths Fell in Mid-2023, But Progress Is Uneven and Future Trends are Uncertain

Since the opioid epidemic was declared a public health emergency in 2017, it has claimed 454,464 lives, with opioid-related deaths rising by 67% between 2017 and 2023. Initially driven by prescription opioids and heroin, the epidemic has shifted in recent years, with illicit synthetic fentanyl—a substance 100 times more potent than morphine—now dominating most markets. Even a small amount of fentanyl can be lethal, and in 2023, 7 in 10 counterfeit opioid pills contained a deadly dose.

Although provisional CDC data show a decline in opioid deaths in 2023, the death toll remains much higher than just a few years ago, keeping this issue in the spotlight. Both former President Trump and Vice President Harris have records related to addressing the opioid epidemic, but they also have proposed different approaches to ongoing and future efforts to address the issue. Trump’s 2024 campaign emphasizes a stricter law enforcement strategy aimed at reducing trafficking, primarily through reinstating and tightening border policies and tougher punishment, including the death penalty for “traffickers and drug smugglers.” In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration’s multi-pronged strategy includes reducing supply, expanding harm reduction, and improving access to treatment, with Harris placing a stronger emphasis on increasing fentanyl seizures through enhanced detection technology at the border and ports. Along with the 1 in 3 adults who report in a KFF survey that they or a family member have been addicted to opioids (29%) or illegal drugs (27%), both President Biden and Vice-Presidential hopeful J.D. Vance have close family members who have experienced addiction. (KFF - Kaiser Family Foundation, USA, 23.09.2024)

https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/opioid-deaths-fell-in-mid-2023-but-progress-is-uneven-and-future-trends-are-uncertain/