U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Including NH Decline

Drug overdose deaths are declining in the U.S.

According to the CDC, there were 30-thousand fewer drug overdose deaths in 2024, marking the largest one-year decline ever recorded.

Experts say more research needs to be done to understand what drove the reduction, but mention several possible factors including increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in how people use drugs.

However, annual overdose deaths are higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. all saw overdose deaths fall by at least 35-percent.