The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a 24% drop in drug overdose deaths in the United States from October 2023 to September 2024.
Compared to the previous year, overdose deaths dropped 27,000. According to the CDC, “this is the fewest overdose deaths in any 12-month period since June 2020.” The CDC calls for efforts to make sure overdoses continue to decline since they are still the “leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44.”
Despite this progress, Alaska, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, and Utah “still saw increases in overdose deaths.”
Additionally, “we also see smaller decreases in nonfatal overdoses, as measured by emergency department visits for overdose, and welcome continued decreases in self-reported youth substance use.”
The CDC attributes these drops to the accessibility of naloxone and substance use disorder treatment, the continuation of prevention and response efforts, and “shifts in the illegal drug supply.”
