The opioid epidemic has gotten so bad that Americans’ life expectancy has actually declined over the past three years. The decline is just four months, but it’s “a pattern unprecedented since World War II,” reports the New York Times.
New numbers Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug overdoses killed more than 70,000 Americans in 2017, a record. Overdose deaths are higher than deaths from H.I.V., car crashes or gun violence at their peaks. The data also show that the increased deaths correspond strongly with the use of synthetic opioids known as fentanyls.
In areas where fentanyls are less prevalent, overdose deaths are lower. On a mildly optimistic note, “Despite the sharp recent increases in drug-related deaths, some early signs suggest that 2017 could be the peak of the overdose epidemic. Preliminary C.D.C. data show death rates leveling off nationally in the early months of this year, though there is still a lot of local variation.” It’s a trend for which, should it continue, Donald Trump will almost certainly claim credit although his administration has done little, while states and cities have taken more aggressive action.
On another depressing note, the suicide rate increased by 3.7 percent, particularly in rural areas and among middle-aged women.