SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A recent report finds drug overdose deaths across all 50 states could reach its lowest level since 2019, but South Dakota is an outlier.
On May 14, a provisional report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a decrease by nearly 2.7% in national fatal overdoses in 2024. But South Dakota falls behind as the state sees an increase in fatal overdoses.
Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope, said one reason South Dakota falls behind on the national decline of overdose deaths could be the limited access and knowledge to preventive measures for overdoses, like naloxone.
“I think these trends often start on the East and West coasts and sort of make their way to the middle of the country,” Kennecke said. “On the East and West coast and other states across the country, they have distributed naloxone more freely, more readily.”
About a year ago, Emily’s Hope introduced naloxone distribution locations across South Dakota, in cities like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and Vermillion. Naloxone, or NARCAN, is a simple tool to use when someone is experiencing an overdose, Kennecke said. The distribution locations offers naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips free of charge.