OD Deaths Decline in U.S., Driven By Drop In Opioid Fatalities
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 21, 2025 -- America’s opioid crisis is showing signs of subsiding, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
Drug overdose deaths (OD) decreased by 4% between 2022 and 2023, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The overall OD death rate fell from 32.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 31.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, the CDC says.
This reduction was driven by a decline in OD deaths related to opioids, the report says.
“Nationally, between 2022 and 2023, the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths decreased for deaths involving any opioid and synthetic opioids other than methadone (which includes fentanyl),” concluded the team led by senior researcher Arialdi Minino, a CDC statistician.
However, OD deaths increased among users of stimulant drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, researchers noted.
Across the country, drug OD deaths decreased in 20 states and did not change significantly in 25 states, researchers found.
The death rate increased in six states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Changes in OD death rates varied between states based on specific drug types, the report says:
-
Drug overdose deaths involving any opioid decreased in 20 states and increased in nine states.
-
Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone decreased in 17 states and increased in 11.
-
OD deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential other than methadone decreased in nine states and increased in six.
-
Rates for deaths involving cocaine decreased in three states and increased in 13.
West Virginia (81.9 deaths per 100,000), the District of Columbia (60.7), Delaware (53), Tennessee (52.3), and Louisiana (50.6) had the highest OD death rates in the U.S. in 2023, researchers said.
The states with the lowest rates were Nebraska (9 deaths per 100,000), South Dakota (11.2), Iowa (14.9), North Dakota (16.4), Montana (17.1), Arkansas (17.7), and Texas (18.5).
Sources
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, report, Feb. 20, 2025
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
Texas Governor Blocks THC Ban, Keeping Gummies and Vapes Legal
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 — THC-infused gummies and vape pens will stay legal in Texas — at least for now. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill on Sunday that would have...
Weed Use Linked To Heart-Related Deaths
MONDAY, June 23, 2025 — Weed is associated with a doubled risk of death from heart disease, a new evidence review shows. The study also found that marijuana use is...
'Gas Station Heroin' Spurs Spike in Poison Control Calls, FDA Warns
TUESDAY, June 17, 2025 — The small, colorful bottles hawked at convenience stores, smoke shops and filling stations as cognitive supplements or energy are often called "gas...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.