Drug deaths are falling for the first time in recent memory, representing a rare glimmer of hope after years of record overdose mortality. On Wednesday, to the surprise of some experts, Biden administration officials sought to take credit for the decrease.
The officials said the White House’s efforts to distribute naloxone have helped to reverse 500,000 overdoses and attributed the overall improvement to increased availability of addiction treatment medications and harm-reduction services like test strips used to detect fentanyl or xylazine.
“I’m happy to report that our efforts are working and that our policies are saving lives,” Neera Tanden, the director of the Domestic Policy Council, said during a press briefing. The new data, she added, represents “the largest recorded reduction in overdose deaths, ever, and this is no coincidence. Efforts taken, investments made, and policies put in place by this administration are having a positive and real impact.”
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