States and tribes receive $1.5B to combat opioid crisis as overdose deaths decline

As the Biden-Harris administration announced an influx of $1.5 billion for states and tribes last week to address the ongoing opioid epidemic, it had promising data to highlight.

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. plunged 10% year-over-year in April, according to the latest data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decline represents the largest drop in overdose deaths on record, according to Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“Far too many Americans have felt the pain of losing a loved one to overdose, and this new data is both a beacon of hope and an urgent call to action for us all to continue working together to beat this epidemic,” Gupta said in a statement.

The new round of federal funding will be distributed through the State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response grant programs.

Overdose deaths began surging sharply in the U.S. during the pandemic, jumping 30% year-over-year in 2020, according to the CDC. The latest data represents the lowest level of overdose fatalities since 2021. However, despite the historic drop, the country has yet to return to pre-pandemic lows, with 101,000 reported overdose deaths in April 2024, compared with 72,000 in 2019.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the federal opioid response grants are a “key tool to beating the opioid epidemic.”

“In the past four years, these programs have connected hundreds of thousands of people to substance use disorder treatment, supported millions of people in recovery, and enhanced naloxone saturation efforts across the country,” Becerra stated. “We’re incredibly proud of these efforts and are following through on our commitment to expand prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery infrastructure across the nation.”

Nevada had the largest decline in drug overdose deaths among the 50 states between April 2023 and April 2024, recording a decline of 29.8%. The highest increase in overdose deaths year-over-year in April was recorded in Alaska, where drug overdose fatalities surged 41.8%.

Other states where drug overdoses increased year-over-year in April included Iowa (1.1%), Colorado (3.8%), Wyoming (2.3%), Utah (8.0%), Nevada (18.1%), Oregon (18.1%), Washington (13.7%), Hawaii (7.6%) and the District of Columbia (0.8%). All other states recorded declines except for Montana, where overdose deaths remained unchanged.