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

From 2003-2023, the opioid epidemic killed 454,464 people with deaths rising by 67% between 2017 and 2023, fueled by synthetic fentanyl. Despite a decrease in deaths in 2023, the toll remains high. Former President Trump favors a law enforcement approach, while the Biden-Harris administration emphasizes reducing supply, improving treatment access and expanding harm reduction. In the last six months of 2023, opioid overdose deaths began to decline, but the rates varied among race, ethnicity, age, and sex.