"U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of last year, suggesting a lasting improvement in an epidemic that had been worsening for decades. Federal data released Wednesday showed that overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years the longest drop in decades but also that the decline was slowing. And the monthly death toll is still not back to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, let alone where it was before the current overdose epidemic struck decades ago,"
"Deaths peaked nearly 110,000 in 2022, fell a little in 2023 and then plummeted 27% in 2024, to around 80,000. The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data runs through August 2025 and represents the first update of monthly provisional drug overdose deaths since the federal government shutdown. An estimated 73,000 people died from overdoses in the 12-month period that ended August 2025, down about 21% from the 92,000 in the previous 12-month period."
U.S. overdose deaths declined for more than two years through August 2025, representing the longest drop in decades, though the pace of decline is slowing. Deaths peaked near 110,000 in 2022, dipped slightly in 2023, then fell 27% in 2024 to about 80,000. Provisional CDC data through August 2025 estimate roughly 73,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending August 2025, about 21% lower than the prior 12-month period. Overdose deaths fell in 45 states, with increases reported in Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico and North Dakota. Data remain provisional and may be incomplete. Possible explanations include greater naloxone availability, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in drug use.
Read at www.bostonherald.com
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