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Monday, August 31, 2026

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Public health · Monday, August 31, 2026

CDC opens an Overdose Prevention Data Channel as provisional deaths fall

The File desk · Aug 31, 2026, 9:50 PM UTC

Status

Confirmed. The 67,798 figure is a provisional prediction, not a final count.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Aug. 31, 2026, that it launched the CDC Overdose Prevention Data Channel, combining fatal and nonfatal overdose data, prevention strategies, and program information. CDC said the latest monthly provisional NVSS data predicts 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in March 2026, a 12.3 percent decrease from the same period a year earlier.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Aug. 31, 2026, that it launched the CDC Overdose Prevention Data Channel, combining fatal and nonfatal overdose data, prevention strategies, and program information. The agency said the launch coincides with International Overdose Awareness Day.

CDC said the latest monthly provisional data from the National Vital Statistics System predicts 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in March 2026, a 12.3 percent decrease from the same period a year earlier.

CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz said, “CDC wants to ensure maximum transparency to empower patients, providers and other stakeholders as we continue our battle against the opioid epidemic.” The channel draws on SUDORS, DOSE, and NVSS.

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    CDC Launches New Overdose Prevention Data Channel

    CDC Newsroom · August 31, 2026

    The latest monthly provisional data from CDC's National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) predicts 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in March 2026. This is a 12.3% decrease in overdose deaths compared to the same time period in the previous year.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/cdc-launches-new-overdose-prevention-data-channel.html