For the second year in a row, American life expectancy has dropped, and the Centers for Disease Control says it’s due to opioid use.
In 2016, life expectancy at birth was 78.6 years for the total U.S. population—a decrease of 0.1 year from 78.7 in 2015, the agency says.
For males, life expectancy went from 76.3 in 2015 to 76.1 in 2016—a decrease of 0.2 year. For females, however, life expectancy remained 81.1 years.
For those who make it to age 65, men can expect to live another 18 years, while women will typically live another 20.5 years.
The problem is making it that far. In the past two years, opioid drug abuse has contributed to a shortened lifespan overall.
