Drug Overdoses Drop by 14% in 2025 Compared With Previous Year

Drug overdoses have declined for a third straight year, according to preliminary data released by the CDC on May 13.¹ The data show a decline in drug overdose deaths of 14% in 2025 compared with the previous year.^1,2

CDC Data Show Overdose Deaths at Lowest Level Since 2019

The CDC reported the 12-month provisional number and percent changes in drug overdose deaths in a chart that presented data through May 3, 2026. The chart, which showed the number of overdose deaths from January 2015 through December 2025, indicated that the number of overdose deaths is the lowest reported number since October 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in drug overdose deaths nationwide.

Nearly all states showed significant decreases in reported overdose deaths, with Oregon (–35.38%), North Carolina (–34.03%), New York (–32.13%), and Alabama (–28.23%) showing the largest declines across their respective states. However, 7 states reported increases in drug overdose deaths, including Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Colorado. Arizona (+17.31%) and New Mexico (+21.30%) saw significant increases in drug overdose deaths, indicating areas of the country that may require more federal attention.

The provisional death counts are based on the death records in the National Center for Health Statistics, with a cutoff date of the first Sunday of each month. Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico are also included in these datasets, though the total death count for the US does not include the number of deaths in Puerto Rico. For its part, Puerto Rico reported 452 deaths related to drug overdose within its borders, a decrease from the previous year.

Overdose Deaths Decline Across Multiple Drug Categories, Driven by Multiple Contributing Factors

The declines in drug overdoses were seen across the use of various drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.¹ The spike in drug overdose deaths, starting in 2020 and peaking in 2022, was initially linked to social isolation and difficulties receiving treatment during the pandemic. The FDA approval of over-the-counter naloxone in 2023 is one of a few factors that could have played a part in reducing the number of overdose deaths.³ Naloxone is a nasal spray that can be used to reverse opioid overdoses, a major boon in the fight against the opioid epidemic.

Other factors that could have played a part in the decline in overdose deaths include expanded means of treating addiction, shifts in the way that people use drugs, and a decline in the number of people likely to overdose as fewer teens take up drugs.¹

The news of the decline in drug overdose deaths comes only a few weeks after the Trump administration announced that they would not allow federal grant recipients to use the money for test strips and kits that help drug users determine if their supply is laced with lethal substances, as part of their policies to “clear[ly] shift away from harm reduction and practices that facilitate illicit drug use and are incompatible with Federal laws…”⁴ It remains to be seen how this shift will affect the number of drug overdoses across the US.

Differences in provisional and final data may occur as more information comes in, making the trend one to keep an eye on as the year progresses. The final data will likely come in August, when the mortality file is closed and no longer updated, which will confirm if the trends persist.

References

1. Stobbe M. US overdose deaths fell again in 2025, but some worry about policy and drug supply changes. AP News. Updated May 13, 2026. Accessed May 14, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/us-overdose-deaths-2025-cdc-181d532093a6dd10482da1c223d43999
2. Provisional drug overdose death counts. CDC. Updated May 13, 2026. Accessed May 14, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
3. AJMC Staff. What we’re reading: FDA approves OTC naloxone; obesity drugs might be “essential” by WHO; WHO revamps COVID-19 vaccine recs. AJMC^®. March 29, 2023. Accessed May 14, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/what-we-re-reading-fda-approves-otc-naloxone-obesity-drugs-might-be-essential-by-who-who-revamps-covid-19-vaccine-recs
4. Carroll C. Updated funding guidance for grantees on supplies and services. SAMHSA. April 24, 2026. Accessed May 14, 2026 https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dear-colleague-letter-upated-hr-funding-guidance.pdf