Opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. have declined to their lowest levels since 2020, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, marking a full year of monthly decreases since last year’s peak.
The CDC now estimates approximately 70,655 opioid-related deaths, including those from heroin and fentanyl, for the year ending in June 2024. This reflects an 18% drop compared to the same period in 2023.
All overdose deaths, including those from other substances, dropped by 14% during the 12-month period ending June 30. However, nearly 97,000 Americans still lost their lives to illicit drug overdoses during that time.
While overdose deaths decreased in 45 states, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington saw increases. It’s also important to note that the provisional data doesn’t break down the impact on different demographic groups. Recent studies show that overdose deaths among Black and Native American communities have been rising at disproportionately higher rates.
Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, told CBS News she believes several factors are contributing to the decline, such as wider availability of naloxone (Narcan) and increased access to treatments for opioid use disorder.
Improvements in “primary prevention” efforts have also played a role, with fewer people starting to use opioids in the first place. Dr. Arwady pointed to CDC surveys showing a significant drop in high school students reporting illicit drug use.
Nabarun Dasgupta, senior scientist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, led a study that analyzed the national decline in opioid-related deaths. He told CBS News that while there are multiple factors at play, emerging research suggests a significant shift in the illegal drug supply could be one of the primary causes behind the downturn.
“Our hypothesis is that something has changed in the drug supply. This kind of pronounced shift, something that happens suddenly, if numbers had suddenly shot up, we would definitely be pointing to a change in the drug supply to explain it,” said Dasgupta.