But fentanyl deaths and smuggling have been dropping fast — and Canada plays almost no role. That’s the lowest tally of provisional predicted deaths from fentanyl and other street drugs since at least March 2020. Last month, Trump signed the “Halt Fentanyl Act,” establishing 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of trafficking fentanyl. 8 theories why fentanyl deaths are plummeting Some 30,000 fewer people are dying every year in the U.S. from fentanyl and other street drugs. In all, drug deaths have eased by roughly one third from the peak measured in 2023.