I have always followed demographic trends because they represent an important factor in understanding and forecasting the long-term path of the economy. The Centers for Disease Control recent reported mortality data for 2022 and there is both good and bad news. The two leading causes of death continue to be heart disease and cancer, but their paths are somewhat divergent. The CDC reports the number of deaths per 100,000 people and that statistic rose over the past ten years by 10% for heart disease in contrast to cancer deaths which fell 1.7%. The truly noteworthy category is accidents which rose an astonishing 67% over the ten year period. The accident category consists of several components including motor vehicle accidents, falls, and accidental poisoning. Deaths related to motor vehicles and falls rose over the ten year period by 19% and 53%, respectively. However, the real eye popper is poisoning deaths which rose 167%. That figure is driven primarily by drug overdoses which increased 160%. Drug related deaths are most prevalent in the 35-44 age group and the problem is particularly acute for males who experienced a 201% increase over the 2012-2022 period as compared to 96% for women. I find it both interesting and distressing that the drug problem is not at the center of our national conscience. While there is certainly talk of punishing drug dealers, there is very little discussion or concern regarding the underlying or root causes of this national tragedy.