It’s clear that health-based responses are working.
Dear Friend,
My name is Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta. I'm a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and I've been studying drug overdose deaths for over 20 years.
We've been seeing that drug overdose deaths in the United States are on the decline, and I know many of us are interested in understanding why. Recently, I sat down with DPA to answer a few questions:
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What are some factors contributing to the overdose death drop and how can we reduce overdose deaths further?
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What are medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)? What are barriers to people getting them?
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Why are overdose rates still increasing in some communities over others, despite the overall decrease in deaths?
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What do the data show? Overdose deaths began declining in many states in 2022. By 2024, every single state had peaked and had declining trends. The expansion of naloxone distribution at the community level is likely one of the key drivers. Increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, like buprenorphine and methadone, is really helping people get back on their feet. These medications reduce overdose risk by over 50%. Grassroots harm reduction efforts have also worked to save lives and re-integrate folks into their communities.
The data has also shown that overdose declines aren’t the same for everyone. Native Americans have by far the highest rates of overdose in the United States. And their rates are not dropping as fast as other communities.
My decades of study have shown me that overdose prevention efforts cannot be one size fits all. We need people from the communities who are experiencing the highest overdose rates to be at the table. This means not just designing responses to fit them, but also empowering them to implement. Across the board, we need more compassion, dignity, and humanity in our response to overdose.
While the overall decline in overdose deaths is really encouraging, this is a fragile recovery. Ineffective punitive measures are increasing in popularity among lawmakers, all while they propose massive cuts to health-centered solutions. In order to keep people alive, we must lean into effective, proven strategies for preventing overdoses. Share the data and fight for continued overdose decline by visiting DPA’s YouTube channel and website.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta
Senior Scientist, Opioid Data Lab
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
P.S. Interested in my team's work providing insights on the drug supply? Sign up for the UNC Opioid Data Lab newsletter.
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