The number of people in the U.S. dying from drug overdoses is falling for the first time in years—and it’s falling quickly.
Nationwide, overdose deaths fell 12.2% between April 2023 and April 2024 from 110,771 to 97,309, according to CDC data released in September. In comparison, overdose deaths fell by 3% between 2022 and 2023, the first annual decrease since 2018 when the number of deaths was 67,367.
Data from individual states shows even more drastic declines. In Ohio, for example, overdose deaths are down 32.6% so far this year compared to last, according to nonprofit Harm Reduction Ohio. And in Vermont, state health department data from January to June of this year shows overdose deaths have fallen about 16% compared to the average number of overdose deaths from the same period over the past three years.