US life expectancy is experiencing its longest-running decline in 100 years, and it reveals a troubling trend

pulse

November 29, 2018 4:32 PM

New reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that US life expectancy has dropped to 78.6 years.

78.6 years in 2017, down from 78.7 in 2016.
The is part of the
The CDC noted that the life expectancy decline coincides with an increase in suicide and overdose rates.

life expectancy in the US dropped to

It's a tough pill to swallow. In a separate report, the CDC found that

there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the US — a 9.6% increase from 2016.

This does not come as a complete shock, as America is currently battling an opioid crisis that, according to earlier CDC estimates, is responsible for the deaths of

The US is taking some steps to reduce the suicide and drug overdose death rates. CNN noted, for example, that state legislaturesintroducing measures

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