Overdose deaths in 2023 fell for the first time since the pandemic

From Axios:

Deadly drug overdoses in the United States declined last year for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, new preliminary federal data show.

The big picture:

It's a rare glimmer of positive news amid a drug epidemic that's gripped the nation for over two decades and still continues to kill over 100,000 people each year.

By the numbers:

Drug overdose deaths fell 3% from 111,029 in 2022 to 107,543 last year, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• After rising sharply during the pandemic's first two years, overdose deaths had appeared to plateau in 2022.

• The number of deaths involving fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids, which account for the vast majority of fatal overdoses, declined from 76,226 in 2022 to 74,702 last year.

• But deaths from cocaine and stimulants like methamphetamine continued to tick up, as they are increasingly mixed with fentanyl, creating a new wave in the evolving drug epidemic. About 1 in 3 fatal overdoses last year involved stimulants, while just over 1 in 4 involved cocaine.