A Significant Milestone: CDC Announces 12th Consecutive Month of Declining Opioid Overdose Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced a significant milestone in public health. The CDC reported that opioid overdose deaths have dropped for the 12th straight month, reaching the lowest levels nationwide since 2020.
Approximately 70,655 deaths linked to opioids like heroin and fentanyl were reported for the year ending June 2024. This represents an 18% decline from the same period in 2023, marking the most sustained reduction since the opioid crisis began escalating.
Almost all states are experiencing significant decreases in overdose death rates. However, a few states in the West, from Alaska through Nevada, are the exceptions.
The decline represents a turning point in America’s battle against the opioid epidemic, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives over the past two decades.
Factors Contributing to the Decline
Health officials attribute the improvement to several key factors:
- Expanded access to addiction treatment
- Increased availability of naloxone (Narcan)
- Enhanced harm reduction programs across communities nationwide
Source: California Healthline