For the first time since the pandemic, there is a noticeable and hopeful decline in drug overdose deaths in the U.S., according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with some states seeing reductions as high as 30%.
While this is promising news, the situation remains serious, with approximately 100,000 deaths still occurring annually, largely driven by dangerous drug mixtures involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. However, this trend reversal marks a stark contrast to recent years, which saw steady increases in overdose fatalities. Experts attribute part of the success to improved access to treatment options for opioid addiction and the widespread availability of naloxone, a life-saving overdose-reversal drug.
Variations by State
The CDC data shows that for the previous 12 months months ending in April 2024:
In Nebraska, overdose deaths have dropped 29.82%.
In North Carolina, overdose deaths have dropped 22.86%.
In Vermont, overdose deaths have dropped 19.35%.
In Ohio, overdose deaths have dropped 19.3%.
Source: CDC
“This progress in many states is really the result of large, public health approaches to addiction with enhanced statewide systems to distribute naloxone, overdose education, and expanding the availability of medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD),” shared Jessica Hulsey, Executive Director of the Addiction Policy Forum. “But these promising results, I think, mean we double down on these resources, not take our foot off the gas pedal.”
Some experts also cite the end of pandemic-era problems, such as increased stress, people using drugs alone, and social isolation.
While the majority of states show a levelling off or reduction in overdose fatalities in the provisional CDC data, several states showed an increase, including Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.
References:
Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024.