PRAISE THE LORD –
May 17, 2025 – There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. Experts say several things could be driving the decline. They include increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in how people use drugs.
There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded.
An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023.
The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. The previous largest one-year drop was 4% in 2018, according to the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics.
All but two states saw declines last year, with Nevada and South Dakota experiencing small increases.
