Kevin Donaldson uses fentanyl mixed with a powerful tranquilizer called

Zylazine in Burlington, Vermont. He knows how risky this kind of drug addiction can

be. I feel like some of us have learned how to deal with the overdose is a lot better.

But he's still alive and he says fewer of his friends are dying.

For a while they were hearing about it every other day, but we were lost the those we heard about a week so maybe that's

pretty far and free between. The data backs up Donaldson's experience. The

Vermont Department of Health shows 22% fewer drug deaths in the first half of this year.

And it's not just Vermont.

Dennis Kouchon is an advocate for addiction treatment in Ohio, where fatal overdoses have dropped

by nearly a third.

The deaths were just plummeting and the data has never moved like this.

And in the Pacific Northwest, Brad Fine Goodheads the overdose crisis response in Seattle,

where the latest data show a 15% the overdose crisis response in Seattle,

where the latest data show a 15% drop in drug deaths this year.

The year ago, when overdose deaths continue to rise,

I was really struggling with hope.

But today I have so much hope.

Consider this. We know that overdose deaths have dropped. What we don't know is why.

From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro. Wait, don't tell me.

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