U.S. Overdose Deaths Dipped In 2018, But Some States Saw ‘Devastating’ Increases

Nationally, drug overdose deaths reached record levels in 2017, when a group protested in New York City on Overdose Awareness Day on August 31. Deaths appear to have declined slightly in 2018, based on provisional numbers, but nearly 68,000 people still died.

Provisional overdose data for 2018 show a note of hope in an overall bleak picture. But in some states, the numbers actually got worse. What explains the disparities?

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Selena Simmons-Duffin