There has been a record-breaking decrease in drug overdose deaths, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We are at a critical inflection point,” said White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta in a statement. “For the sixth month in a row, we are continuing to see a steady decline in drug overdose deaths nationwide. This new data shows there is hope, there is progress, and there is an urgent call to action for us all to continue working together across all of society to reduce drug overdose deaths and save even more lives.”
According to the report, drug overdose deaths have decreased by 12.7 percent year-over-year for the 12-month period ending in May 2024, the largest recorded drop in overdose deaths. This also marks the sixth consecutive month of reported decreases in predicted 12-month total numbers of drug overdose deaths.
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Additional findings include:
- North Carolina reported the largest drop in overdose deaths, with a 48.8 percent decrease in the last year.
- Other states with significant drops in overdose deaths include Nebraska (28.7 percent decrease), Pennsylvania (24 percent decrease), Michigan (22.4 percent decrease), Ohio (22.3 percent decrease), Oklahoma (22.2 percent decrease), Virginia (22.2 percent decrease), Delaware (21.2 percent decrease), and New Jersey (21 percent).
- Western states did not report similar drops, with some states reporting increases in drug overdose deaths, including Alaska (36.1 percent increase), Oregon (14.7 percent increase), Nevada (12.5 percent increase), Utah (5.9 percent increase), and Washington (5.3 percent increase).