Overdose deaths fell nearly 27% last year to the lowest level since 2019

Drug overdose deaths plunged by 26.9% last year to the lowest level since 2019 as opioids claimed fewer lives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

According to a provisional estimate from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, overdose deaths fell from 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024.

“There was a large decrease in deaths involving synthetic opioids, a category which includes fentanyl,” Farida Ahmad, a CDC statistician, told The Washington Times.