Death‑coding shifts change overdose narratives

Changes in how the CDC classifies opioid deaths (ICD‑10 T40.x distinctions and revised calculation methods) can materially alter which drug types—prescription opioids versus illicitly manufactured fentanyls—appear to be responsible for trends. That reattribution affects where money, enforcement, and prevention efforts go, and how politicians and media frame the crisis. — If counting rules shift perceived drivers of the overdose epidemic, policy responses and public opinion can follow even when underlying harms are unchanged.