Pennsylvania's fatal drug overdose rate plummeted by more than 9% in 2023 from the previous year, per new CDC data.
The big picture: Overdose deaths seem to be falling across the country as pandemic-era isolation ebbs and access to life-saving medications like Naloxone grows.
Nationwide, the fatal drug overdose rate fell 4% from 2022 to 2023, despite major increases in states out West and up in Alaska.
By the numbers: The Keystone State's fatal drug overdose rate dipped to 37.1 per 100,000 people in 2023, CDC data shows.
Of the the 4,720 overdose deaths, Black Pennsylvanians continue to be disproportionately affected, per preliminary data.
Zoom in: Philadelphia saw a 7% drop in drug overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023 — the first decline in five years.
Yes, but: The 1,315 deaths still marked Philly's second-highest total.