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Expert says drop in US fentanyl deaths could be temporary

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May 23, 2026

Deaths from fentanyl are rapidly decreasing in the United States. According to recent data, fatalities from fentanyl overdoses dropped nearly 20% in 2025. DW spoke with Vanda Felbab-Brown to understand why.

Are US President Donald Trump's policies helping in the battle against the high rate of fentanyl deaths? DW spoke with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who said the reasons for the recent decrease in deaths are complex, and warned that Trump’s approach risks causing another spike in overdose fatalities.

Tomi Oladipo Tomi Oladipo is a British-born Nigerian journalist based in Berlin.
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