[Annotated] Life expectancy in America has declined for two years in a row

That's not really meant to happen in developed countries

Just as^[각주:1] Americans headed home for the year-end holidays^[각주:2], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)^[각주:3] issued its annual report on^[각주:4] mortality^[각주:5] - which had no news to celebrate. According to the report, published on December 21st, life expectancy in^[각주:6] America fell in 2016, for the second year in a row^[각주:7]. An American baby born in 2016 can expect to live on average 78.6 years, down from 78.9 in 2014. The last time life expectancy was lower than in the preceding year^[각주:8] was in 1993. The last time it fell for two consecutive years was in 1962-63. 

Other statistics suggest that this alarming trend^[각주:9] is caused by the epidemic of^[각주:10] addiction to^[각주:11] opioids^[각주:12], which is becoming deadlier^[각주:13]. Drug overdoses^[각주:14] claimed more than 63,000 lives in^[각주:15] 2016. Two-thirds of these deaths were caused by opioids, including potent^[각주:16] synthetic drugs^[각주:17] such as fentanyl^[각주:18] and tramadol^[각주:19], which are easier to overdo^[각주:20] by accident^[각주:21] and are becoming more popular among illegal drug users. 

According to the CDC, the leading causes of death in^[각주:22] 2016 remained heart disease^[각주:23] and cancer. But a category called "unintentional injuries^[각주:24]", which includes drug overdoses, climbed to^[각주:25] third place^[각주:26] - from fourth place in 2015 and fifth place in 2012. Although unintentional injuries caused just 6% of deaths in 2016, they claim mostly people in the prime of their lives^[각주:27]. A young person's death cuts average life expectancy by^[각주:28] more than the death of an older person. 

The steepest rise in^[각주:29] mortality was among 25- to 34-year-olds. In that age group^[각주:30] deaths per 100,000 people from any cause increased by 11% from 2015 to 2016. Mortality from drug overdoses in the same age group shot up by^[각주:31] 50% from 2014 to 2016.

At the same time^[각주:32], the decrease in^[각주:33] mortality from heart disease and cancer - which has been a chief driver of^[각주:34] the steady increase in life expectancy - has begun to level off^[각주:35]. As a result, further increases in overdose deaths would probably push life expectancy down again^[각주:36]. A decline for^[각주:37] three straight years^[각주:38] was last seen in America a century ago, when the Spanish flu^[각주:39] pandemic^[각주:40] ravaged the world^[각주:41]. 

This outcome seems likely. According to CDC officials, provisional data for^[각주:42] the first half of^[각주:43] 2017 suggest that overdose deaths continued to rise. Foot-dragging by^[각주:44] President Donald Trump's administration has not helped matters. On the campaign trail in^[각주:45] 2016, Mr Trump promised to take on the opioid epidemic^[각주:46] as a priority^[각주:47]. So far^[각주:48], his administration has not produced a plan^[각주:49] or appointed a "drug tsar" to oversee a strategy to^[각주:50] curb addiction^[각주:51]. Nor has it asked Congress to allocate the billions of dollars needed to treat the estimated 2m people^[각주:52] hooked on^[각주:53] opioids. The national Public Health Emergency Fund has just $57,000 on hand^[각주:54], because it has not been replenished^[각주:55] for years^[각주:56]. States and local authorities are^[각주:57] setting up addiction-treatment services^[각주:58]. But without new money from federal sources^[각주:59], their efforts will buckle under^[각주:60] the weight of the problem^[각주:61]. 

A continued decline in^[각주:62] life expectancy would leave America trailing even farther behind^[각주:63] other rich countries. Lives in America are already two years shorter than the average in the OECD group of 35 rich and soon-to-be-rich countries: life expectancy is closer to Costa Rica's and Turkey's than to that of Britain, France and Germany. If the administration cannot reverse this then - at least when it comes to longevity in^[각주:64] the Western world - its policy might be described as America Last^[각주:65]. 

1. just as ; 꼭 …처럼 [본문으로]
2. year-end ; [명사, 형용사] 연말(의) [본문으로]
3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention ; 미국 질병통제예방센터 ;; CDC (의학) 질병관리센터(疾病管理~). 미국 Department of Health and Human Services의 한 국(局)으로서 Atlanta, Georgia에 본부를 두고 있으며 전염병, 매개충에 의한 질환 또는 다른 직업병(職業病)의 관리를 한다. CDC는 역학(疫學), 감시(監視), 검출(檢出), 검사연구소, 생태조사, 훈련 및 질병관리 방법 등을 관장한다. 이전에는 Communicable Disease Center(1946) 또는 Center for Disease Control(1970)이라고 불렀다. ;; 참고 ; center [본문으로]
4. annual report ; 연차 보고서; 연보(年報) [본문으로]
5. mortality ; 2. [U] (특정 기간・상황에서의) 사망자 수[사망률] [본문으로]
6. life expectancy ; [명사] 기대 수명[여명] [본문으로]
7. second year in a row ; 2년 연속으로 [본문으로]
8. preceding year ; 전년, (그) 전해 [본문으로]
9. alarming ; 놀라운; 불안한, 염려되는; 위급한 [본문으로]
10. epidemic ; [명사] 2. (또는 epidemical) (사상·풍속·질병 따위가) 유행하고 있는, 널리 퍼져 있는. [본문으로]
11. (an) addiction to ; …의 중독. [본문으로]
12. opioid ; [명사] (약학) 오피오이드 ((아편 비슷한 작용을 하는 합성 진통·마취제)) [본문으로]
13. deadly ; (dead・lier , dead・li・est), (more deadly와 deadliest가 일반적으로 쓰이는 형태이다. most deadly도 쓰이기는 한다.) 1. 생명을 앗아가는[앗아갈], 치명적인 [본문으로]
14. overdose ; [명사] (약의) 과다 복용[과잉 투여] ;; 미국식 [|oʊvərdoʊs] 영국식 [|əʊvədəʊs] [본문으로]
15. claim ; 6. CAUSE DEATH | [타동사][VN] (재난・사고 등이) (목숨을) 앗아 가다 [본문으로]
16. potent ; 1. (사람의 심신에 미치는 영향이) 강한[강력한] [본문으로]
17. synthetic drug ; (의학) 합성약 ;; 참고 ; drug [본문으로]
18. fentanyl ; [U] (약학) 펜타닐 ((진통제)) ;; 미국∙영국 [féntənil] [본문으로]
19. tramadol ; A synthetic analgesic opiate used for the relief of pain. [본문으로]
20. overdo ; (over・does / -'dVz / , over・did / -'dId / , over・done / -'dVn /), [vn] 2. 지나치게 많이 쓰다[이용하다] [본문으로]
21. by accident ; 우연히, 뜻밖에, 사고로 [본문으로]
22. a leading cause ; 주된 원인. [본문으로]
23. remain ; 4. [보어와 함께] 그대로[여전히] …이다(continue to be). [본문으로]
24. unintentional injuries ; 비의도적 부상 [본문으로]
25. climb to ; …까지 오르다. [본문으로]
26. third place ; 3위 [본문으로]
27. prime ; [sing.] 한창때, 전성기 [본문으로]
28. cut ; 10. REDUCE | [타동사][VN] ~ sth (by…) | ~ sth (from…) (to…) ~을 (~만큼) 줄이다[삭감하다]/~을 (~에서) (~로) 줄이다 [본문으로]
29. steep ; (steep・er , steep・est) 2. [주로 명사 앞에 씀] (양의 증감이) 급격한 [본문으로]
30. age group ; (또한 드물게 'age bracket) [명사] (특정) 연령대(의 사람들) [본문으로]
31. shoot up ; 2. 급증[급등]하다 [본문으로]
32. at the same time ; 동시에[함께] [본문으로]
33. decrease ; [C , U] ~ (in sth) | ~ (of sth) 감소, 하락 [본문으로]
34. driver ; 4. 추진 요인, 동인(動因) [본문으로]
35. level off ; [동사] 수평[저공] 비행하다; 변동이 없게 되다; 안정되다[시키다]. ;; 동의어 ; make smooth; become stable. [본문으로]
36. push (sth) down ; 낮추다, 밀어내리다 [본문으로]
37. decline ; [C , U] [주로 단수로] ~ (in sth) | ~ (of sth) (수・가치・품질 등의 지속적인) 감소[하락/축소] [본문으로]
38. for three straight years ; 3년 연속으로 [본문으로]
39. flu ; [U] (격식 in・flu・enza) the flu 독감 [본문으로]
40. pandemic ; [명사] 전국[전 세계]적인 유행병 [본문으로]
41. ravage ; [타동사][VN] [주로 수동태로] 황폐[피폐]하게 만들다, 유린[파괴]하다 ;; 미국∙영국 [|rӕvɪdƷ] [본문으로]
42. provisional ; 1. 일시적인, 잠정적인, 가(假)…, 임시의; 시험적인, 조건부의, 단서가 붙은 [본문으로]
43. first half ; 1. (일 년을 둘로 나눈) 상반기, 전반기 ;; 2. (구기 경기 등의) 전반(전); (두 시즌제(制)의) 전기 [본문으로]
44. foot-dragging ; [美구어] 완만, 활기 없음; 망설임; 지체. [본문으로]
45. campaign trail ; 선거 유세 여행[코스] [본문으로]
46. take on ; [동사] 떠맡다; 고용하다; 태우다; 떠들어대다, 흥분하다; 인기를 얻다; …와 대전[대결]하다.;; 동의어 ; undertake, assume; employ, hire; carry on board; become excited; become popular; [본문으로]
47. as a priority ; 최우선으로 [본문으로]
48. so far ; 지금까지[이 시점까지] ;; 동의어 ; thus far [본문으로]
49. produce ; 3. 표시하다(show), 보이다, 제시하다, 제출하다, 내다(bring forward). [본문으로]
50. oversee ; [타동사][VN] (over・saw / -'sOː / over・seen / -'siːn /) (작업・활동이 제대로 이뤄지는지) 감독하다 [본문으로]
51. curb ; [타동사][VN] (특히 좋지 못한 것을) 억제[제한]하다 [본문으로]
52. estimated ; 견적한, 어림잡은, 추측한 [본문으로]
53. be[get] hooked on ; …에 맛들이다, 푹 빠지다; [마약·술]에 중독되다 [본문으로]
54. on hand ; 수중에 / 편리한 / [美] 출석한 [본문으로]
55. replenish ; [타동사][VN] ~ sth (with sth) (격식) (원래처럼) 다시 채우다, 보충하다 [본문으로]
56. for years ; 수년간, 몇 해 동안 [본문으로]
57. local authority ; [명사] 지방 정부 당국 [본문으로]
58. set up ; [동사] 건립하다, 설립[수립]하다; 준비하다; …인 체하다; 함정에 빠뜨리다. ;; 동의어 ; erect, establish; prepare; claim to be; entrap, frame. [본문으로]
59. federal ; 2. (미국・캐나다 등의 연방 국가 내에서) 연방 정부의 [본문으로]
60. buckle under ; …에 못이겨 무너지다[굴복하다]. [본문으로]
61. weight ; 5. RESPONSIBILITY/WORRY | [sing.] ~ (of sth) (무거운 책임감 같은) 짐, 부담 [본문으로]
62. continued ; (또한 con・tinu・ing / kən|tɪnjuɪŋ /) [명사 앞에만 씀] 지속적인 [본문으로]
63. trail ; 2. (끌려가듯이) 뒤를 따라가다; 발을 질질 끌며 걷다, 천천히 걷다; (행렬 따위에서) 낙오하다(behind). ;; trail behind ; 느릿느릿 따라가다 [본문으로]
64. longevity ; [U] (격식) 장수; 오래 지속됨 ;; 미국식 [lɑ:n|dƷevəti;lɔ:n-] 영국식 [lɒn|dƷevəti] [본문으로]
65. 트럼프 대통령이 매번 America First 구호를 외치는 것에 대한 비꼬기 정도 [본문으로]