Health experts are viewing the possible slow-down in fatal overdoses as good news.
The peak may have occurred in September 2017 at a staggering 73,143 deaths and been as low as 70,859 more recently. Although still appalling, the reverse may be cause for optimism. In a forthcoming article in the journal Addiction, researchers at University of California San Francisco say that over 29,000 of these deaths are due directly to fentanyl, with the remainder due to heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, and other substances.
