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Ben Cocchiaro, Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Drexel University

How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn

Fatal overdose deaths in Philadelphia dropped 7% in 2023. The city is expected to release 2024 data in the spring. Spencer Platt via Getty Images

After nearly a decade of almost year-over-year increases in overdose deaths, the tide may finally be turning in Philadelphia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May 2024 an estimated 3% decrease in overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 compared with 2022. Shortly after, data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health showed a similar trend: Fatal overdoses across the city decreased 7% in 2023, from 1,207 to 1,122. The city is expected to release its 2024 data in the spring of 2025.

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