After more than 20 years of the overdose crisis claiming the lives of our parents, siblings, friends and loved ones, we are finally seeing a decrease in overdose deaths. Overdose deaths have decreased 27% from 2023-2024 due to:
These declines started during the Biden Administration and have continued since. While public health interventions played a critical role, diplomatic coordination with China also had some effect. Unfortunately, this progress may be threatened by massive federal funding cuts to addiction and overdose prevention services. When funding shifts away from public health solutions, the consequences are tangible: treatment services are scaled back, healthcare costs rise, and waitlists for care grow longer.
Even though there were fewer overdose deaths, 80,000 people still died of overdose in 2024 and people who use drugs are still at risk of other drug-related harms like HIV, painful abscesses, and heart disease. An effective and well-funded health approach to drugs is needed to address all potential harms of drug use.
These services work to reduce overdose deaths and address other drug-related harms like HIV infections.
While overdose deaths have tragically impacted people of all ages and races across the country, it has not impacted all communities equally. To save lives, we must increase access to lifesaving tools and services for the communities at highest risk.
Many people who die of overdose have, knowingly or unknowingly, used multiple drugs together or within a short period of time. People need access to drug checking tools and services, so they can identify additives in their drugs that could increase overdose risk. People also need more education on the risks associated with mixing different types of drugs together, so they can make safer choices.