evidence: Drug deaths nationwide hit a new record in 2022. 109,680 people died as the fentanyl crisis continued to deepen, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [...] There is some good news in this report. Overdose fatalities rose in 2022 at a much slower rate. Some states hard hit by the opioid-fentanyl epidemic also saw significant declines in drug deaths. [...] In real numbers, Texas and Washington state saw the biggest increases in drug fatalities in 2022. Both states suffered roughly 500 additional deaths linked to overdose.