Overdose deaths fall in the United States, historic reduction of almost 24%

The United States achieved a "historic" breakthrough against one of its most devastating public health threats: drug overdoses. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths from illicit substance use, including fentanyl, are down from the previous year.

During the 12 months ending in September 2024, the country experienced a nearly 24% reduction in overdose deaths compared with the same period the previous year, according to preliminary estimates from the US CDC.

In the period analyzed approximately 82,000 overdose deaths were reported, compared with about 114,000 deaths in 2023. This is the lowest number of deaths from such a cause since June 2020.

Among the synthetic opioid-related death data, smuggled fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of deaths, the report says.

While the published numbers are encouraging, an article in The Wall Street Journal highlighted that they remain drastically higher than a decade ago, evidence of the severity of the problem in the fentanyl era.

The CDC document asserts that rates of accidental overdose deaths tripled between 2003 and 2019, making this cause the leading reason for deaths linked to accidental injuries, surpassing even traffic accidents.

Likewise, these figures increased by another 58% from 2019 to 2022, due in part to the aggravating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend, however, has begun to reverse: from 2022 to 2023, the rate fell by 4 %, while initial data for 2024 confirmed a continuation of this decline.

Drug market and access to treatment

Trafficking and availability of fentanyl have also shown recent variations. US Customs and Border Protection cited in the report says that federal seizures of this drug increased during 2023, but decreased slightly in 2024.

In 2025 there is a declared war on drug trafficking following Donald Trump's return to the White House.

Although the specific reasons for the overall decline in overdose deaths are not entirely clear, researchers suggest that a return to pre-pandemic patterns of living, along with factors such as improved access to treatment and the adequacy of communities after the initial fentanyl hit, are playing a role.