For the first time on record, overdose death rates declined across all four waves of the US drug crisis, falling 24.4% between 2023 and 2024. Fentanyl-related deaths drove the decline, with researchers citing wider naloxone availability, greater risk awareness, and possible disruptions to the illicit fentanyl supply chain as contributing factors.

US overdose deaths fell for the first time in 2024, across all four waves
EUREKALERT