LIFE MATTERS –
Mar. 23, 2026 – The number of overdose deaths fell by nearly 3% from 2022 to 2023, the first year-over-year decline the CDC has recorded since 2018. Preliminary estimates suggest that 76,516 Americans died from overdose between April 2024 and April 2025, representing a 24.5% decrease compared with the previous year. Experts attribute the decline to increased access to the opioid antagonist naloxone, wider distribution of fentanyl test strips, shifts in the illicit drug supply and increased public awareness, among other factors. While this progress is encouraging, thousands of Americans still die from drug overdoses every year.
States addressed overdose and substance use in 2025 by increasing access to naloxone and nonopioid pain treatments, and allocating opioid settlement funds to support prevention and treatment.
