5 States Leading the Decline in Overdose Deaths

1. West Virginia

One pattern that’s common among these five states is an investment in stronger social services for the community.

Take West Virginia, for example. From January to October 2024, overdose deaths dropped 40% compared to the same period in 2023. That decline went hand-in-hand with another statewide shift. From 2020 to 2024, the number of children in the state who were removed from their homes and placed in foster care due to parental substance abuse fell by nearly 55%. 

State officials explain that the state has been shifting its social services strategy to an approach that emphasizes guiding parents to recovery and prioritizes keeping families together. Experts credit this as a likely reason for both the improvements in family stability and fatal drug overdoses.

2. New Hampshire

New Hampshire has made a very coordinated and expansive effort to combat the opioid epidemic. From 2023 to 2024, opioid overdose deaths decreased by 35%.

They’ve installed a variety of programs and collaborations but the most notable is their Doorways program. 

Started in 2019, Doorways provides free drug screenings and evaluations, connects residents to rehab options in their local communities and provides other lifesaving resources, like prevention education and recovery stories. Since its inception, Doorways has helped more than 37,000 people seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). 

New Hampshire is also the first state in the country to provide Naloxboxes (Narcan kits that a facility keeps on hand for emergency use, just like an emergency first aid kit or defibrillator) to any organization that wants one, so the fact that this state has seen powerful results speaks volumes.

3. Virginia

Virginia’s improvements can largely be traced back to community-based initiatives designed to lower overdose rates. 

Much of this movement started in Chesterfield County, where overdose deaths dropped by half from 2023 to 2024. Since then, it’s spread to other parts of the state. The crux of the change is a concerted effort between local officials, recovery specialists, and other members of the community. 

In some areas, recovery experts collaborate with local law enforcement to help route individuals into treatment programs. In August 2022, Chesterfield Recovery Academy opened as the state’s first high school just for students recovering from SUD. Some local libraries are designated Narcan distribution centers. The jail even serves as a default treatment center. It’s a group-based movement designed to make sure every resident has access to life-saving care and resources. 

4. Washington, DC

Overdose deaths in DC dropped by more than 37% from 2023 to 2024. In the overdoses that did occur, fentanyl was the most common substance found in syringes. Reports show that a ramped-up focus on Narcan is responsible for controlling these numbers. 

Narcan is standard-issue to first responders throughout the city. District experts also credit part of their improvement to the availability of fentanyl test strips. These are inexpensive paper strips that people can buy over the counter and use to make sure their drugs aren’t laced with fentanyl.

5. Wisconsin

From 2023 to 2024, overdose deaths in Wisconsin were down by around 10%, while nonfatal overdoses dropped by more than 9%. 

State experts say some of the credit for their decline in overdoses and fatalities comes from what they term as “upstream efforts” to lower the risk factors for substance use. These include programs to improve access to medical and mental health care, remove barriers to addiction treatment, and assist with safe and stable housing. 

They’re also investing in ways to support first responders and seeking to prevent addiction before it begins through outreach and education initiatives for school-aged children. 

What Types of Drug Overdoses are Decreasing?

The initial report from the CDC noted the decrease in total drug overdose deaths across the country. 

In comparing the overdose rates from specific drugs, these five notable states generally had minimal decreases in fatal overdoses from cocaine and amphetamines. The large decreases in 2024 were almost entirely from opioids, and specifically synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

What’s Behind the Decline in Overdose Deaths?

All of this data about the decline in overdose deaths is still very new from a scientific perspective, so there’s a lot of investigating and analysis that needs to be done before we can fully understand the reasons behind the improvements. In the meantime, though, industry experts and the data available do point to some factors that have likely contributed.

Awareness and Avoidance of Fentanyl

Media and public safety campaigns have shared ample information about the dangers of fentanyl and how to test drugs for fentanyl. Dr. Sylvie Stacy, Medical Officer at Rehab.com and a physician who treats patients with substance use disorder, notes that many of her patients with opioid addiction purposely avoid fentanyl because they understand how dangerous it is.

Direct Addiction Recovery Programs Funded by Governments

In addition to social programs, a common thread among the states that are seeing the best improvements in overdose fatalities is government funded programs that directly help people with addiction.

Improved Availability of Narcan

Another popular way that local and state governments and other organizations are combating the opioid overdose epidemic is by making Narcan more widely available. Narcan (the brand name for naloxone) is a medication that counteracts the effects of opioids in the body, giving it the outstanding ability to reverse an overdose before it becomes fatal. 

The fact that last year’s decrease in fatalities was almost entirely seen among opioid overdoses could be a hint that Narcan availability is saving thousands of lives.

What Can We Do to Keep This Positive Trend Going?

For those of us who work in the addiction treatment industry and for anyone who has loved ones who struggle with substance use disorder, the news of these improvements in fatal overdoses gives us great hope for the future. Not only is it positive because fewer lives are being lost to a treatable disease, but also because it’s helping industry professionals analyze trends to see what’s working. This means it could save many more lives in the future.

Now is the time to capitalize on the decline in overdose deaths and invest wisely in programs and community strategies that work. As industry experts dive further into the data and identify what’s causing these improvements, local governments, healthcare providers, and organizations can use these findings to invest in the strategies that really work.

To keep your eye on vital data like this as it evolves, check out Rehab.com’s drug statistics report.

If you’re facing substance use disorder in your own life or have a loved one who is, use our directory to find a rehab that is right for you or call 800-985-8516 ( Sponsored Helpline ) today.