Overdose deaths fell after 2022 peak

CDC provisional counts show U.S. drug-overdose deaths peaked around 2022 (~110,900) and have fallen in subsequent provisional tallies (roughly 66,500 in the 12 months ending May 31, 2026), but rates remain historically high (about 19.4 per 100,000 in that 12‑month window). The decline is measurable but incomplete, and fentanyl (synthetic opioids) still accounts for the majority of opioid-involved fatalities in recent years. — If the epidemic is partially retreating, policymakers risk complacency; the data should reframe debates about continuing harm‑reduction, supply‑control, and treatment investments.