Fatal drug overdoses in both Denver and across Colorado have declined through the first half of 2024, matching national trends and offering a ray of sunshine after the fentanyl crisis fueled years of mounting death tolls. Still, experts and health officials cautioned, the data is preliminary and only covers the first six months of this year — and Colorado’s number of overdose deaths still remain well above pre-pandemic levels. “Any improvement is good news,” said Rob Valuck, the executive director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention.