Alaska Overdose Rates Surge Despite Nationwide Decline

Fentanyl’s Deadly Toll in Alaska

Chief Medical Officer for Alaska’s Department of Health, Dr Robert Lawrence, explained that fentanyl use accounted for the vast majority of these recorded overdose deaths. He added that 13% of the deceased had prescription medications in their systems but not all of these individuals had these medications prescribed to them.

Alaska is predicted to be ranked among the top 10 states for overdose deaths once the national mortality rates are finalized.

Alaska Overdose Rates: A Call to Action

According to Dr Lawrence the worst part of the tragedy is what those 357 deaths mean. After a steep rise between 2020 and 2021 the trend seemed to stabilize between 2021 and 2022.

The 40% jump is a particularly alarming and unwelcome change in trajectory. The newest data suggest that Alaska’s overdose death rates are continuing to surge.

In 2024 drug fatalities in Alaska increased by 33% over the previous year’s record numbers. This represents the largest jump in drug deaths of any US state in the same time period.

According to Alaska State Troopers the price for illegal drugs in Alaska is among the highest in the country. Authorities suspect that this may be a strong contributor to the overdose crisis they’re experiencing.

The Broader Substance Use Crisis

Alaska’s substance use problem extends far beyond overdose deaths. The rate of Alaskans struggling with some form of substance use problem is estimated to be as high as 20%.

The CDC reports that Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Nevada also saw increases in overdose deaths. And Dr Lawrence notes that despite the national decline these state numbers show that “it is not time to stand down.” Addressing the state’s overdose epidemic must remain a top priority.