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Fatal drug overdoses are on the decline in the U.S. (Axios).

What’s going on: Overdoses fell in 2023 for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and they’re on track to decline again this year, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out this month.

• “The most recent CDC data, which ends in April, shows that the number of overdose deaths is falling faster than the 3% decrease between 2022 and 2023.”
• In the year ending in April, there was a 10% drop in overdose deaths from the same period a year earlier.

Why it’s important: From 2021 to 2023, overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassed 100,000 annually (The Washington Post, subscription)—but this data suggests that is changing.

Why it’s happening: More numbers and research are needed, but experts say the wider availability of the overdose-reversal medication naloxone and the end of COVID-19-era isolation are likely factors.