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2w ago

U.S. Overdose Deaths See Record 27% Decline in 2024, CDC Reports

Provisional data highlights the steepest annual drop in four decades, with public health interventions credited for progress but future funding cuts raising concerns.

FILE - Signs are displayed at a tent during a health event on June 26, 2021, in Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby, File)
Aerial view of a camp of the Mexican National Guard recently mounted next to the Mexico-US border as part of Operation Frontera Norte, in eastern Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on February 26, 2025. Mexico on February 4 began moving troops to its northern border as part of a 10,000-member deployment to tighten measures against illegal migration and cross-border smuggling of the drug fentanyl that President Claudia Sheinbaum promised US counterpart Donald Trump in exchange for a delay of his tariffs.
About 80,400 people died from a drug overdose in the US in 2024, according to CDC estimates.
A member of the Portland Fire and Rescue Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) team pushes a patient into an ambulance for medical care after they were administered Narcan brand Naloxone nasal spray for a suspected fentanyl drug overdose in Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024.

Overview

  • The U.S. recorded 80,391 overdose deaths in 2024, a 27% decrease from 110,037 in 2023, marking the largest one-year drop in CDC's 45 years of data collection.
  • Fentanyl-related deaths fell 37%, while fatalities involving methamphetamine and cocaine dropped by 21% and 28%, respectively, contributing to the overall decline.
  • Expanded access to naloxone, increased addiction treatment options, and $50 billion in opioid settlement funds have been pivotal in reducing deaths.
  • All but two states—South Dakota and Nevada—saw declines, with some states like Ohio and West Virginia reporting reductions of over 35%.
  • Experts warn that proposed federal budget cuts to CDC and SAMHSA programs could jeopardize continued progress, urging sustained investment in harm reduction and prevention efforts.