US Sees Roughly 21% Decline In Drug Overdose Deaths, CDC Data Reveal
All but five states — Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Kansas, and North Dakota — reported fewer fatal outcomes tied to drug overdoses from August 2024 to August 2025, data indicate. Other lifestyle and wellness news looks at social media use among children, text-to-therapy tech, recalls, and more.
The Hill:
Decline In Overdose Deaths Slowing: Government Data
The number of drug overdose deaths continued to fall in 2025, albeit at a slower pace than the year prior, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows. The data, released Wednesday, projects that nearly 73,000 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending August 2025, a decline of roughly 21 percent relative to the year ending August 2024. Estimated overdose deaths dropped from nearly 107,000 in the 12-month period ending January 2024 to nearly 82,000 in December 2024, a roughly 23 percent drop. (Rego, 1/14)
More health and wellness news —
ABC News:
Study Suggests There May Be Beneficial 'Goldilocks' Window For Kids' Social Media Use
A new study suggests there may be a so-called "Goldilocks" time frame in which kids may face less risk when they use social media. The time frame doesn't cut out social media use completely but suggests there is an amount of time that is "just right" for kids to use it, a reference to the phrase Goldilocks uses in the fairy tale of the same name. The study from Australia, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, suggests there may be a certain amount of time that can benefit kids and their mental health and estimates that it is less than two hours a day, on average. (Yu, 1/13)
WUFT:
Can Texting A Therapist Help With Depression? A New Study Says Yes
You likely have experience with text-to-talk, a technology that converts texts into audio to make content accessible for people with disabilities. How about text-to-therapy? A JAMA Network study shows it might be just as helpful for those battling depression. In fact, the convenience of text therapy, which allows users to respond and interact with their therapist throughout the day, is shown to be just as effective as video-based therapy. (Wesner, 1/14)
The New York Times:
Lung Cancer Stigma Keeps People From Care
When Jim Pantelas was diagnosed with lung cancer at 52, he felt that he had brought this disease upon himself. Having started smoking at age 12, Mr. Pantelas, a Navy veteran, was consumed by shame — certain that cancer was his punishment. (Bajaj, 1/14)
ABC News:
FDA Upgrades Voluntary Cheese Recall To Highest Risk Level: What To Know About The Products
Several pecorino Romano cheese products that were voluntarily recalled in November due to possible listeria contamination have been reclassified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the highest hazard level. In a Jan. 6 enforcement report, the FDA updated a prior Nov. 21, 2025, voluntary recall from the Ambriola Company to a Class 1 designation, which means the affected cheese products -- which were recalled after routine testing confirmed the presence of listeria, according to the company -- could cause "serious adverse health consequences or death" if consumed. (McCarthy, 1/14)
CBS News:
Recalled "Super Greens" Supplement Linked To Dozens Of Salmonella Cases, CDC Says
A "super greens" dietary supplement recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday has been linked to at least 45 salmonella cases across 21 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illnesses linked to the New York-based Live it Up Super Greens brand powder were reported from Aug. 22, 2025, to Dec. 30, 2025, in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, the CDC said. (Intarasuwan, 1/14)
