States Where Fatal Drug Overdoses Are Declining Fastest

Published: May 15, 2024 by Amy Williams

The drug epidemic is not a new problem in our society, but it has gotten worse over time. The overdose epidemic in the U.S. has led to thousands of deaths every year. This epidemic is characterized as four different epidemics: opioids, heroin, fentanyl, and stimulants. Despite numerous mandates and a decline in opioid prescriptions, drug overdoses have continued to increase in many cases.

According to the CDC, opioid-involved death rates increased by 15% from 2020 to 2021 while prescription opioid-involved death rates remained the same. On the contrary, death rates involving heroin decreased by nearly 32%.

Overall, the number of drug overdose deaths spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. While numbers started to decline in the beginning of 2022, they were still higher than the overdose deaths prior to the pandemic.

There are many organizations working to fight the opioid epidemic and the overall drug epidemic in the U.S. Many states are working diligently to identify outbreaks and provide the necessary care and treatment to those in the community.

Some states in the U.S. have experienced an increase in fatal drug overdoses but the number of overdoses in other states have declined. Even though it is far from an easy fix, there are many ways communities can work together to fight the drug epidemic and reduce the rates of fatal overdoses across the country. We’ve gathered a list of the states where fatal drug overdoses are declining the fastest.

To identify the states where fatal drug overdoses are declining the fastest, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States are ranked on the change in deadly overdoses reported between the 12 months through November 2023 and the same period one year earlier. Data for New York state does not include New York City, which is listed separately.

36. Maryland

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

Annapolis, Maryland, USA town skyline at Chesapeake Bay with the United States Naval Academy Chapel dome.

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

Change in fatal drug overdoses: -0.6%
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2023: 2,485
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2022: 2,501

35. Tennessee

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Change in fatal drug overdoses: -1.3%
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2023: 3,736
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2022: 3,784

34. Minnesota

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Change in fatal drug overdoses: -1.4%
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2023: 1,360
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2022: 1,379

33. New York City

Although New York City isn’t a state, the CDC separates their stats from the rest of New York.

Change in fatal drug overdoses: -1.8%
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2023: 3,029
Fatal drug overdoses, 12 mos. ending Nov 2022: 3,083

32. Vermont

Source: Fall Foliage Along Norton Pond Northeast Kingdom Vermont 2021 Season by Anthony Quintano / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Fall Foliage Along Norton Pond Northeast Kingdom Vermont 2021 Season (BY 2.0) by Anthony Quintano