(Washington Post) – Public health officials and researchers say the drop may reflect multiple forces, including access to treatment and overdose-reversal medication.

Overdose deaths appear to be declining sharply in the United States, a sign that efforts to combat the scourge of lethal fentanyl may be paying off even as experts caution that the toll remains unacceptably high and could rise again.

Preliminary data compiled by states and released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 10 percent drop in deaths during the 12-month period ending in April, with about 101,000 people succumbing to overdoses. (Read More)