"Record Drug Overdoses in 2022 Offset U.S. Life Expectancy Rise: CDC Report"
In 2022, U.S. life expectancy increased to 77.5 years, rebounding from the impact of COVID-19, but infant deaths rose and drug overdose deaths hit a record high, with 107,941 fatal overdoses. The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths nearly quadrupled from 8.2 in 2002 to 32.6 in 2022. While deaths from COVID-19 decreased, it remains the fourth-leading cause of death. Other leading causes of death, such as heart disease and cancer, saw declines, but drug overdoses continue to rise, particularly among those 35 and older.