US overdose deaths fall 17% largest single-year decline on record

HHS data shows that overdose deaths fell 17% in the 12 months ending July 2024 compared to the prior year, the largest single-year decline in US history. When Biden took office in 2021, overdose deaths were rising 31% annually. The decline is attributed to the administration's strategy of making naloxone (the overdose-reversal drug) available over the counter without a prescription, expanding medication-assisted treatment, investing $167 billion in opioid response, a 20% increase over the previous administration, and harm reduction programs. The FDA approved over-the-counter naloxone (Narcan) in March 2023. Despite the progress, over 100,000 Americans still die from overdoses annually, primarily driven by illicit fentanyl.