For the first time in over a half a century, life expectancy in the United States has dropped for the second year in a row, as the nation’s opioid crisis intensifies. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 63,000 died from drug overdoses in 2016. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 55. In October, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, but he did not request any money to address the crisis.
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