New federal data shows that the average lifespan of white Americans fell ever so slightly in 2014, a fact that is being attributed to increased death rates among young and middle-aged white people.
Deaths in that age group have spiked largely because of liver disease, suicide and drug overdoses, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of those overdoses are attributed to people abusing opioids such as painkillers and heroin.
The decline — from an average of 78.9 years per person in 2013 to 78.8 years per person in 2014 — is the next step in a recent trend in which life expectancy increases for Americans have ground to a halt. Read more…
More about Deaths, Overdose, Lifespan, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, and Opioids
