Opioid overdose fatalities have dropped to their lowest level nationwide in three years, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National surveys compiled by the CDC show drug deaths declined by 10.6% from April 2023 to April 2024. The decline marks a major reversal from recent years when a surge in fatal overdoses was attributed to drugs being laced with fentanyl.
Public health experts are attributing the decline in overdoses to the availability and affordability of medical treatments for fentanyl addiction, including community naloxone programs. Naloxone can rapidly reverse overdose symptoms and has been distributed for free at participating New Jersey pharmacies since January 2023.
New Jersey has also seen overdose deaths trending downward over the last year. Suspected drug-related deaths dropped statewide from almost 2,900 in 2022 to about 2,600 last year.
