US Overdose Deaths See Record Single-Year Drop

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released surprising new data on overdose deaths in the US. And for the first time in a long time the news is good. 

Provisional data about drug overdose deaths in 2024 indicate that the number of fatal overdoses was 27% lower than it was in 2023. This is the largest single year drop ever recorded since the CDC started tracking this data 45 years ago. Before 2024 the largest single-year drop was just 4%.

The annual overdose deaths dropped from 110,000 in 2023 to 80,000 in 2024 and it wasn’t just a few states or regions that were responsible. Fatal overdoses appear to have dropped in almost every state. Nevada and South Dakota were the exceptions and they had very small increases in 2024. 

The biggest drops were in some of the states that have had the highest numbers of overdose deaths in recent years such as Ohio and West Virginia.

Why Are US Overdose Deaths Dropping?

The surprising results were just recently released, so experts say there’s work to be done to find out why there has been such a steep decline and how we can capitalize on it to lower these fatalities even more. They speculate that some of the contributing factors could include:

• More availability of the medication naloxone or Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose while it’s happening
• Expanded access to addiction treatment
• Changes in the ways people use drugs, as researchers noted a few months ago that most overdose deaths are now occurring from smoking drugs rather than injecting them
• The impact of billions in opioid lawsuit settlements being put toward reducing the opioid crisis
• An overall drop in people at risk for overdose, as many older people with addictions have passed away and younger people are trending away from drugs that carry higher overdose risks

Another factor may be the increasing awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. 

“I’ve noticed more of my patients with opioid addiction are actively trying to avoid fentanyl than in previous years,” said Dr. Sylvie Stacy, Chief Medical Officer at Rehab.com. “They know it’s more dangerous than prescription pain pills and more potent than heroin.”

She adds that public messaging and news coverage may be making a real difference in the decisions people make.

“All the media attention and public health messaging have made the risks so clear that a lot of opioid users are being more selective about what they use and where they get it. So they are less likely to overdose.”

Overdose Deaths Decline, But Challenges Remain

Despite the progress being made to prevent drug-related injuries and deaths, more work remains to be done. According to Rehab.com’s Drug Use Statistics Report for 2025, the Southeast continues to be hardest hit by the addiction crisis. It still leads the nation in overdose death rates. 

So, while the decline in fatal overdoses is excellent news, it’s important to approach it with caution. There were still 80,000 people who lost their lives to a preventable overdose last year, resulting from the treatable disease of substance use disorder, and that leaves 80,000 families devastated.

The CDC adds that overdose deaths are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, so the drop mostly seems to be resolving a temporary surge. They also note that overdoses are still the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44.

While this significant drop in fatalities is a source of hope that we can celebrate, it also shows us that this doesn’t mean we should back off of efforts to help the addiction epidemic, only that we should find out why it’s improving and lean into the positive momentum.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and you don’t want to be in these statistics, there’s help available. Call 800-985-8516 ( Sponsored Helpline ) now to learn more about affordable and accessible addiction treatment in your area.