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In 2025, the number of overdose deaths in the US fell for the third straight year
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Deaths involving heroin, fentanyl and other stimulants have declined, a trend attributed to the availability of naloxone, lighter methadone regulations and harm reduction programs.
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Researchers are cautious, citing changes in drug supply and policy backlash that could offset benefits.
THURSDAY, May 14, 2026 (NewsDay News) – The number of Americans who die from drug overdoses has fallen for the third year in a row.
According to the report of A report Published May 13 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is 14% less than in 2024.
The new set mirrors 2019, before the COVID pandemic. The third year-over-year decline is the longest in decades, they said Associated Press Agency.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that this really is a turning point in the arc of the overdose crisis,” he said. Brandon Marshalla researcher at Brown University who studies trends in binge drinking.
There is a decline in a number of drugs, including heroin; opioids such as fentanyl; and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine. They can also contain a combination of drugs.
For example, deaths involving both heroin and fentanyl form two categories: the number of drug overdose deaths involving heroin and the number of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, the CDC explained.
Several possible factors may explain the decline in overdose deaths following the COVID-19 pandemic. AP. These include:
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Wider availability of naloxone, an over-the-counter treatment that can reverse opioid overdoses (approved in March 2023)
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Better access to drug addiction treatment, including lighter methadone regulations in the US (effective October 2024)
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Changes in drug use habits
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The growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit money
Despite the decline, the number of Americans who die from drug overdoses is still high. Marshall and other researchers warned that the number could rise again due to changes in government policy or changes in drug supply.
“If deaths are going down fast, that means if we take our foot off the gas, they could go up pretty quickly,” Marshall said. In AP.
In addition, new substances are appearing in the US drug supply.
“The supply of drugs continues to change and evolve,” he said Alex Krotulskidirector Center for forensic scientific research and trainingfederally funded toxicology laboratory in Horsham, Pennsylvania. According to Krotulsky, the laboratory identified 27 new drugs last year and 23 new drugs this year.
Additionally, the Trump administration is slashing programs designed to reduce drug overdose deaths and infections. That includes moving away from services that facilitate illegal drug use, such as clean syringes and hotlines that people can call when they’re using drugs, officials say.
Kimberly Douglas, who founded this group Black mothers against overdose after the death of her 17-year-old son, said drug overdoses are on the decline, but federal support for harm reduction services, which is responsible for the decline, is also shrinking.
“We’re seeing overdoses go down in some places, and that’s because of harm reduction,” such as services targeted by the Trump administration, he said.
SOURCE: AP NewsMay 13, 2026
What does this mean for you?
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline or ask to find a treatment facility or provider.
