Overdose deaths have surpassed 100,000 for the third straight year, according to federal data released Wednesday, a reminder that the nation remains mired in an intractable epidemic fueled by the potent drug fentanyl.

According to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 107,543 people died in 2023, a slight decrease from the previous year. The agency described it as the first annual decrease in deaths since 2018, although experts cautioned that the numbers could rise in ensuing years and that the toll remains unacceptably high.

All of this happens while Amerikkka is bullying the global south with more wars. OH, and this is not all! Check the following cope:

The CDC on Wednesday described the decrease as a sign that federal efforts to help prevent deaths and treat addiction in states are paying off. It could boost President Biden as he seeks reelection and Republicans rip him over border security and the flow of fentanyl synthesized by Mexican criminal groups.