The CDC says COVID-19 was the largest factor, along with drug overdoses, homicides, diabetes and chronic liver disease. The decline was even greater for Hispanic men.
The turnaround is welcome news after rising drug overdose and suicide rates had pushed life expectancy down since 2014. Could America be turning the tide on opioid addiction?
Life expectancy in the U.S. has taken a significant downward turn. This is especially true in Ohio and West Virginia, which have the highest rates of overdose deaths among people ages 25 to 64.
All the victims were wearing orange wristbands and are believed to have attended the same event Saturday night, but authorities say they overdosed afterward at a private residence.
Provisional overdose data for 2018 show a note of hope in an overall bleak picture. But in some states, the numbers actually got worse. What explains the disparities?
Two years after East Liverpool, Ohio, gained notoriety from a viral photo of an overdosed couple, the community is coming to terms with its addiction problem — and taking tentative steps forward.
When fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, infiltrated the drug supply in the U.S. it had an immediate, dramatic effect on the overdose rate.
Over three days, more than 100 people fell ill after smoking a batch of K2 officials say was laced with AB-Fubinaca. Police Chief Anthony Campbell said chemical was "knocking people down."
Drugs like Valium, Xanax and Ativan are more popular than ever. Frequently used to treat anxiety, the medicines can be risky, especially when mixed with alcohol or opioids.
A paramedic in Pittsburgh says he and his team respond to opioid overdoses "probably at least daily." President Trump declared the crisis a public health emergency on Thursday.
Maine is among a handful of states putting limits on the painkiller dose that doctors can prescribe a patient. Some doctors and patients say the law is helping, while others say it goes too far.
"Max is not going to text me back. I'm not going to hear his voice again," Mayor Megan Barry said of her only child. The 22-year-old died last month of an apparent overdose near Denver.
Some people on heroin die because the drug was laced with something much stronger — like fentanyl. A few needle exchange programs give users test strips to check their drug's content before injecting.
People who abuse opioids are well aware of the risk posed by fentanyl, a powerful anesthetic that's increasingly slipped into heroin and other drugs. They're coming up with new tactics to survive.
A pair of long-term studies found fewer children and teenagers are coming in contact with opioids, and that hospitalizations from the drugs are down. The same is not true for adults.
Whether it's toddlers mistaking pills for candy or teenagers taking opioids on purpose, the huge rise in access to opioid painkillers has led to more children being poisoned and hospitalized.
So far this year, more than 1 in 4 donations in New England are from people who died after a drug overdose — a much higher rate than in the U.S. overall, though it's not clear why.
Carfentanil, a potent variation on fentanyl, is being blamed for a wave of opioid overdoses. In Cincinnati, the coroner, crime lab and first responders are struggling to keep up.
Carfentanil, a powerful opioid used to sedate elephants, is being blamed for a record spike in drug overdoses in the Midwest. It's much stronger, and riskier, than heroin or fentanyl.
Doctors increasingly prescribe opioid painkillers with benzodiazepines — medications used to treat anxiety and insomnia. That combination is causing a spike in overdoses and deaths, the FDA warns.
As doctors and nurses learn more about what the body goes through during drug use, they are changing the treatment they provide for patients on heroin and other drugs.
Most of the millions taking prescription painkillers are older than 45, research shows, and there's been a recent increase in drug overdose deaths among people over 55. Drug mixing is partly to blame.
Grieving for the loss of a loved one to drug overdose can be difficult when it is mixed with guilt and remorse. But support is scarce for those who are left behind.
