ATLANTA — People can now get a clearer picture of overdose trends in their state with a new online tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC has launched the Overdose Prevention Data Channel, which brings together information from three major surveillance systems, the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System, the Drug Overdose Surveillance and Epidemiology system and the National Vital Statistics System.
The tool puts overdose data in one place and allows users to view information nationwide or break it down by individual states.
“The most useful data does more than show us what has happened; it helps us decide what to do next,” said Grant Baldwin, the director of the CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “The continued decline in predicted overdose deaths is encouraging, but progress is not a finish line. The Overdose Prevention Data Channel gives communities and public health professionals a clearer view of fatal and nonfatal overdose trends, along with evidence-based strategies they can use to tailor resources, strengthen prevention efforts, and save lives.”
According to CDC data, overdose deaths are estimated to have decreased by more than 12% nationwide from March 2025 to March 2026, compared with the previous 12-month period.
But the decline has not been seen everywhere.
The new tool shows South Dakota has seen an almost 9% increase in overdose deaths, along with a 13% increase in emergency department visits for nonfatal drug overdoses.
Other states have also continued to see increases, including New Mexico at 28%, Colorado at 12%, Montana at 5%, Arizona at 5%, Nebraska at 3% and New Hampshire at 1%.
