The Iowa Department of Public Health reports preliminary data shows the number of deaths involving opioids fell from 137 to 89 in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time period last year. The director of the department’s Opioid Initiatives, Kevin Gabbert, says several factors are involved in the drop.

While the opioid-related deaths have dropped, Gabbert says it is only a start on addressing the problem.

The number of opioid-related deaths started climbing in 2000 when there were 23, and rose steadily to a high of 206 in 2017.