Overdose deaths take dramatic drop in US

Overdose deaths are rapidly dropping across the United States.

Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts a nearly 24% decline in drug overdose deaths for the 12 months ending in September 2024, according to a report released in February. That’s about 27,000 lives saved over a single year, the fewest overdose deaths in any 12-month period since June 2020, according to the CDC.

"That's more than 70 lives saved every day,” Allison Arwady, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a news release. “CDC's public health investments, our improved data and laboratory systems for overdose response, and our partnerships with public safety colleagues in every state mean that we are more rapidly identifying emerging drug threats and supporting public health prevention and response activities in communities across America."

Overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 44. The decrease is largely attributed to the widespread distribution of naloxone, a medication that can reverse an overdose and save lives if administered in time. The CDC also credits the resumption of prevention and response following pandemic-related restrictions.

Missouri, as well as local numbers, are not available for 2024, but it was the 18th worst state for overdose deaths in 2022.

“There has been a real push in the past couple of years to make naloxone readily available,” said Autumn Grim, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center. “Any person can walk into a pharmacy and get it now without a script and many facilities have it available. There are even naloxone vending machines now at some health centers.”

Locally, the Gibson Center for Behavioral Change supplies naloxone to area organizations for distribution. One of the organizations that distributes the most naloxone is the We Do Recover Community Center at 715 Broadway.

“One of the big pushes at the Recover Community Center is that we offer naloxone, or Narcan, at the door,” said Lezlie Fox, the program manager at the recovery center. “So you can walk into our center and it’s right there. There’s no questions asked. Anybody can take as much as they want. And we do that on top of going around the community and doing Narcan trainings. I’ve had churches come in and grab Narcan. We’ve had school leaders come by and grab Narcan. It’s just letting people know that Narcan used to just be in the paramedic’s box. It used to just be at the ER, but now we really are pushing for everybody to have Narcan in their cars, because you just never know who you’re going to pull up on that may be experiencing an overdose. Apparently, it’s working with the supply of Narcan being out there and the availability of it, it’s driving those numbers down, thankfully.”

Naloxone comes in both a nasal spray and an injection. Fox said the training is very simple. It’s more about recognizing when someone is overdosing, and also knowing that a dose of naloxone isn’t harmful to a person if they’re not overdosing.

Statistical data regarding the number of lives saved by naloxone is hard to come by. Fox said people don’t report when they are saved from an overdose. But many studies have shown the drug is very effective in reversing an overdose as it’s happening. Fox said Naloxone isn’t a drug that’s self-administrated. An observer gives the dose after recognizing the signs. Typically the overdosing individual is unconscious.

Fox attributed some of the drop in deaths to more available resources for addicts to get recovery help.

She also said she doesn't think the addiction problem itself is lessening. The Southeast Missourian reported last year that the Drug Enforcement Administration in St. Louis seized 735 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 345,000 fentanyl-laced pills in 2023, which is enough to kill 24 million people. Opioid overdoses are the most likely to cause deaths.

Individuals can go to www.nomodeaths.com to find out where to get naloxone.