Drug overdose deaths fall to lowest levels since 2019

Drug overdose deaths in the United States declined to their lowest annual level since 2019, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The U.S. had 30,000 fewer drug overdose deaths in 2024 than in 2023 — marking the largest one-year drop ever recorded, according to the CDC’s data. The U.S. had an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in 2024, a nearly 27% drop from an estimated 110,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023.

The decline in total drug overdose deaths in 2024 is partially due to the increased availability of naloxone, a type of medicine that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, according to CBS News.

There was a sharp increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the U.S. recorded an estimated 107,941 drug overdose deaths, marking a record-high amount, according to CDC data.

Opioid overdoses make up the largest amount of drug-related overdoses in the U.S., and commonly involve the usage of synthetic opiates such as fentanyl or heroin, according to the Addiction Center.

President Donald Trump said in a February memo that the use of fentanyl and other illicit drugs is a public health crisis and “grave threat” to the country. The president has repeatedly publicly criticized foreign countries such as China, Canada, and Mexico for not doing enough to prevent illicit drugs from crossing the border into the United States.

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