Declines seen across drug classes and for most states
By Stephanie Brown HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Drug overdose deaths decreased by 26.9 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to provisional data released today from the National Center for Health Statistics.
According to the new data, drug overdose deaths in the United States decreased from an estimated 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024. Overdose deaths involving opioids decreased from an estimated 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024. Overdose deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine) decreased, too (from 30,833 to 22,174 and from 37,096 to 29,456 deaths, respectively). There was a sizable decrease seen in overdose deaths from fentanyl, from 76,282 deaths in 2023 to 48,422 deaths in 2024.
Almost all states saw decreases. Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., experienced declines of at least 35 percent. Meanwhile, South Dakota and Nevada saw slight increases in 2024 compared with 2023.
These provisional numbers are featured in an interactive web data visualization. The 2024 data are subject to change as more data are submitted to the National Vital Statistics System.
Experts say there are several possible factors driving the decline in overdose deaths, the Associated Press reported. The most likely reasons for the decrease include greater availability of naloxone, improved access to addiction treatment, changes in how people use drugs, and the growing positive impact of opioid lawsuit settlement money.
“Despite these overall improvements, overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 44, underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to maintain this progress,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. “Through sustained funding to support prevention and surveillance activities like the Overdose Data to Action program, we will continue moving toward a future in which Americans no longer lose their lives to drug overdoses.”
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