Huge drop in US overdose deaths, marking progress in opioid crisis

An estimated 80,391 people died from drug overdoses in 2024 -- a 27 percent drop from the 110,035 deaths recorded the year before and the lowest level since 2019.

Deaths involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl -- the primary driver of the current epidemic -- also plunged, from roughly 76,000 in 2023 to 48,422 last year. Only two states, South Dakota and Nevada, saw increases.

The decline came under former president Joe Biden, whose administration expanded access to addiction treatment and made the opioid reversal drug naloxone a central focus of national drug policy.

But the Trump administration, which returned to power in January, was quick to claim credit.

"Since President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017, Congressional support has enabled CDC to expand critical data systems and strengthen overdose prevention capacity across all states," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

"Despite these overall improvements, overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44, underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to maintain this progress," the statement added.

America's opioid epidemic traces its roots to the 1990s, when drugmakers aggressively marketed prescription painkillers like OxyContin.

The current wave has been fueled by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, largely produced in China and trafficked into the US via Mexico, often mixed with stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Overdose deaths spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic amid healthcare disruptions and deepening mental health challenges.

More than a million Americans have died from drug overdoses over the past two decades.