January 10, 2026
Peanut butter panic, pill drama
Overdose deaths are falling in America because of a 'supply shock': study
Overdose drop or ‘drug shrinkflation’? Commenters brawl over China, credit and blame
TLDR: A new study says overdose deaths are falling thanks to a “supply shock,” like dealers thinning product. Comments explode into a fight over whether China’s 2023 fentanyl crackdown is the real reason and who deserves credit, with snarky corrections and political clapbacks making it the internet’s favorite brawl.
The Economist says America’s overdose deaths are finally dipping, and researchers point to a “peanut butter dimple” moment: dealers thinning supplies and potency—aka drug shrinkflation—creating a “supply shock.” The thread instantly turned into a popcorn fest. One sleuth dropped an archive link and a likely Science paper, while others argued the real story is China’s 2023 crackdown on fentanyl precursors, claiming that’s when “the tap got turned off.”
Cue geopolitical hot takes: some say this was obvious all along—fentanyl came mostly from China—while others debate whether Beijing’s move was a PR clean-up or a policy pivot. Then came the clapbacks. One commenter dunked on a stray claim with “hint: fentanyl doesn’t travel from Venezuela,” earning plenty of upvotes for the geography lesson. The thread’s spiciest subplot? Credit wars. A user snarked that overdose deaths fell in 2023, so “maybe you owe 2023’s ‘dear leader’ an apology,” while another fired back that the paper shows a pre-Trump downturn, and “blowing up boats” had nothing to do with it.
Between peanut butter metaphors and political scorekeeping, the mood is equal parts relief and rage. The community vibe: cautious optimism that fewer people are dying, paired with a brawl over why—supply shock vs. China crackdown, policy vs. luck, and memes vs. evidence. It’s Reddit doing what Reddit does: facts, feels, and flawless side-eye.
Key Points
- •The article reports a recent, notable decline in overdose deaths in the United States.
- •New research suggests a “supply shock” in drug markets may explain the decline.
- •A shrinkflation analogy is used to illustrate how supply changes can affect outcomes.
- •The piece is part of The Economist’s United States section and appears under “Threading the needle.”
- •The print edition date is January 10, 2026, with a New York dateline.