Axios

Opioid prescription rates across the country have been declining since their peak in 2012, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2016 national prescription rate was the lowest in a decade at 66.5 per 100 people.

Why it matters: The Trump administration recently unveiled its plan to defeat the opioid crisis — including pursuing the death penalty for certain drug dealers. The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit against drugmakers and distributors that sell or sold prescription opioids, and the big spending bill passed by Congress included a $2.8 billion increase for opioid addiction treatment, prevention and research.