WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Opioid-involved overdose death rates in the U.S. declined sharply from a year ago, according to CDC data.
Overall overdose death rates decreased by 4.1% from 2017 to 2018 in the country, as death rates involving heroin decreased by 4%, and prescription opioid-involved overdose death rates decreased by 13.5%.
'Decreases in overdose deaths involving prescription opioids and heroin reflect the effectiveness of public health efforts to protect Americans and their families,' said CDC Director Robert Redfield. 'While we continue work to improve those outcomes, we are also addressing the increase in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids. We must bring this epidemic to an end.'
While progress has been made to combat overdose deaths, death rates involving synthetic opioids increased by 10% from 2017 to 2018.
Opioids were involved in more than 46,000 drug overdose deaths in 2018. Of the 39 jurisdictions included in the analyses, 11 states and the District of Columbia saw decreased rates of death involving opioids overall.
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