Cook County, Ill., Sees Highest Decline In Fatal ODs Among Largest Counties
The county — home to Chicago — had a 37% reduction in 2023, The Guardian reported. The success is due to rapidly increasing Chicago's overdose surveillance and strong grassroots efforts. Second on the list was Queens County, New York.
The Guardian:
How Chicago Succeeded In Reducing Drug Overdose Deaths
Among US counties containing the nation’s 10 largest cities, Cook county, Illinois – where Chicago is located – has seen the largest reduction in overdose deaths since the national peak of the crisis in 2023, by 37%, according to an exclusive Guardian analysis. (Green and Kiefer, 10/17)
WLRN Public Media:
Florida Overdose Deaths Plummet With Fentanyl Fatalities Down 35%, FDLE Reports
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday reported a significant drop in drug-related fatalities last year across the state. According to the data, total drug-related deaths in 2024 decreased by 14% statewide. The sharpest reductions were seen in opioid-related fatalities, with opioid-caused deaths dropping 32% and fentanyl-caused deaths decreasing by 35%. (Bustos, 10/16)
The Guardian:
Overdose In America: Analysis Reveals Deaths Rising In Some Regions Even As US Sees National Decline
Overdose deaths continued to rise in some communities across the US even as they declined nationally in 2024, according to an exclusive data analysis by the Guardian, which found wide geographical disparities in fatalities linked to the public health crisis. (Green and Kiefer, 10/17)
On gender care and mental health —
KFF Health News:
After Chiding Democrats On Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes A Key Health Measure
California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a suite of privacy protection bills for transgender patients amid continuing threats by the Trump administration. But there was one glaring omission that LGBTQ+ advocates and political strategists say is part of an increasingly complex dance the Democrat faces as he curates a more centrist profile for a potential presidential bid. (Mai-Duc, 10/17)
The 19th:
Anti-Trans Policies Are Derailing The Fight To Stop Genital Mutilation
Connecticut is one of only a handful of states without a law banning female genital mutilation and cutting, a human rights violation and one of the most extreme forms of gender-based violence. FGM/C, as the practice is often abbreviated, can be done for cultural reasons or a way to exert control over sexuality. It is most often performed on young girls without their consent, has no medical value, and can result in severe medical complications like obstructed childbirth and sensory deprivation. (Mithani and Rummler, 10/16)
CBS News:
Mental Health Distress Among The Nation's LGBTQ+ Youth Is Increasing, Study Finds
Mental health distress among LGBTQ+ youth in the United States has been increasing amid a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, but strong support networks and access to health care were shown to ease symptoms for some, a study found. The findings were published Thursday by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services. Researchers followed 1,689 LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 13 and 24 between September 2023 and March 2025. (Cutrona, 10/16)
If you need help —
Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
More health news from across the U.S. —
CIDRAP:
First Locally Acquired US Case Of More Severe Clade 1 Mpox Identified In California
The first US case of locally acquired clade 1 mpox has been reported in Long Beach, California, according to city and state health authorities. The clade 1 case is the nation's first in a person with no recent travel history and the seventh clade 1 case in the country. The patient required hospitalization and is now isolating and recovering at home, the City of Long Beach news release said. (Van Beusekom, 10/16)
CIDRAP:
US Documents Dozens Of New Avian Flu Cases In Wild Birds As PAHO Notes Human Case
The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported dozens of new H5N1 avian flu detections in wild waterfowl in several states, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has published an epidemiologic update tallying 76 human H5N1 cases, including 2 deaths, in five countries in the Americas in the past 4 years. (Van Beusekom, 10/16)
Capital & Main:
In Small Town Texas, Clean Water Can Be Elusive.
The water isn’t always brown, but Scarlet Weathers lives like it is. Not once has she drank the tap water from her kitchen sink in her house in Sweeny. She knows, like everyone else in the town, that it can’t be trusted. Even her small grandchildren have noticed it during bathtime. Why is the water brown? (Bruess, 10/16)
