--- title: Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year: CDC description: Drug overdose deaths have decreased modestly over the last year, according to preliminary data from the CDC. canonical: https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-23T17:50:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:48:48.899Z article:section: Health og:title: Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year, Data Shows og:description: It's an early but promising sign og:url: https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ee1990bdf7a07ef/69893dd6656a3f8440bd5d66/heroin-syringes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4796 og:image:height: 2698 og:image:alt: Drug Useage in Los Angeles og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year, Data Shows twitter:description: It's an early but promising sign twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ee1990bdf7a07ef/69893dd6656a3f8440bd5d66/heroin-syringes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year, Data Shows > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=328c45b4-7cf6-4878-9e0d-ee1b68a92b54&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=328c45b4-7cf6-4878-9e0d-ee1b68a92b54&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=328c45b4-7cf6-4878-9e0d-ee1b68a92b54&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=328c45b4-7cf6-4878-9e0d-ee1b68a92b54&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Oct 23, 2018 5:50 PM UTC  Used syringes line a sidewalk in Los Angeles, CA on October 12, 2017. Used syringes line a sidewalk in Los Angeles, CA on October 12, 2017. Photo by John Fredricks/NurPhoto via Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Oct 23, 2018 5:50 PM UTC The estimated number of deaths from drug overdoses has fallen for each of the last seven months on record, giving reason for cautious optimism about the state of the nation’s substance abuse epidemic. Fatal overdose rates have [risen sharply](http://time.com/5220372/drug-overdose-deaths-cdc/) over the past several decades — [more than tripling](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db294.pdf) between 1999 and 2016 — in large part because of the [opioid epidemic](http://time.com/5187886/opioid-overdose-rates/). But [preliminary data](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm?utm%5Fsource=STAT+Newsletters&utm%5Fcampaign=afd000f39f-MR%5FCOPY%5F12&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F8cab1d7961-afd000f39f-150444909) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) points to a promising, if modest, recent downturn. The NCHS measures drug overdose deaths in 12-month periods ending in a given month. Predicted deaths dropped progressively lower during each of these periods between September 2017 and March 2018, falling from 73,133 to 71,073 deaths during that timespan. It’s too soon to draw firm conclusions from the data. The figures are not final, since they’re based on a combination of confirmed and predicted deaths, and any short-term decrease could be a temporary statistical blip. But after years of exponential increases, any reduction in overdose deaths is good news — even though the total number of people dying from overdoses is still high. The latest NCHS data also shows that certain states with particularly severe opioid problems, including [Massachusetts](https://www.mass.gov/news/opioid-related-overdose-deaths-continue-to-decline-in-massachusetts) and [Vermont](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537005/), have seen recent reductions in overdose deaths, suggesting that local substance abuse prevention programs in these areas may be working. In total, 19 states and the District of Columbia saw overdose deaths decrease during the 12-month period ending in March 2018, compared to the previous year. Montana saw the largest decrease, at around 25%, although its total number of deaths was comparatively low. Initiatives aimed at curbing drug overdoses have also been rolled out at the national level, including expanded access to the opioid-overdose-reversing drug [naloxone](http://time.com/4999223/what-is-narcan/), new [opioid prescription guidelines](http://time.com/4259639/cdc-federal-government-national-standards-prescription-painkillers/) and [limitations on the availability](http://time.com/4952176/cvs-pharmacy-opioid-epidemic/) of prescription painkillers. Earlier this month, [Congress also passed a bill](http://time.com/5416380/opioid-bill-congress/) designed to make it easier for people to afford substance abuse treatment, lift restrictions on medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder and free up resources for fighting drug use and addiction. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/"},"headline":"Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year, Data Shows","datePublished":"2018-10-23T17:50:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:48:48.899Z","description":"It's an early but promising sign","url":"https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/","keywords":["opioids","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ee1990bdf7a07ef/69893dd6656a3f8440bd5d66/heroin-syringes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ee1990bdf7a07ef/69893dd6656a3f8440bd5d66/heroin-syringes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Drug Useage in Los Angeles","caption":"Drug Useage in Los Angeles","creditText":"Photo by John Fredricks/NurPhoto via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/opioids/","name":"opioids"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5431819/drug-overdose-deaths-decreasing/","name":"Drug Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Over the Last Year, Data Shows"}}]}] ```