A clear indication of our success in the opioid crisis is the rise in the U.S. average life expectancy. This recent article notes that an American born in 2024 can expect to live to 79 years of age, an increase over the past few years. Robert Anderson, the chief of the statistical analysis and surveillance branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that the decrease in COVID-19 mortality and drug overdose mortality “were the two main drivers" of the recent improvement. Data from the CDC shows that the drug overdose death rate decreased between 2022 and 2024, with the largest decrease, of 26 percent occurring from 2023 to 2024.
This is very good very news, but drug overdoses continue to remain high on the list of preventable deaths. Therefore, targeted prevention efforts are still essential to bring the number of overdose deaths down even further.
Please consider attending the 2nd Annual NJ Healthy Aging Summit scheduled for this Friday, June 5 in Atlantic City. The summit will focus on preventing opioid misuse among people 55 and older. Individuals from this age group are frequently prescribed opioids and can be vulnerable to dependence and addiction. You can also register for the next Knock Out Opioid Abuse Learning Series Webinar.