U.S. Overdose Deaths Drop for the First Time in Decades

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have plummeted for the first time in decades, according to public health data.

New statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an unprecedented 10.6% decline in drug deaths, NPR reports. Additionally, experts expect an even larger decline when data from the state level is updated.

"In the states that have the most rapid data collection systems, we’re seeing declines of twenty percent, thirty percent," Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert on street drugs at the University of North Carolina, told the outlet.

"What makes it fascinating is the speed at which it's happening," added Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a physician and addiction researcher at the University of California San Francisco.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The decline is also consistent with the decrease in emergency room visits linked to drugs.

Researchers believe that, although the cause is not entirely clear, one change that might have contributed to the decline is the accessibility of medical treatments for fentanyl addiction, as well as the wider availability of naloxone — a medication that immediately reverses an opioid overdose.

"Expansion of naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder — these strategies worked," said Dr. Volkow at the National Institute On Drug Abuse.

"We've almost tripled the amount of naloxone out in the community," Brad Finegood, who directs the overdose crisis response in Seattle, told the outlet. 

Although this decline is a step in the right direction, experts insist that there is more work to be done to minimize drug overdose deaths in the country. CDC reports state that there were still 107,543 drug overdose deaths in 2023. 

"I think we have to be careful when we get optimistic and see a slight drop in overdose deaths," Dan Salter, who heads a federal drug interdiction program in the Atlanta-Carolinas region, told NPR. "The last thing we want to do is spike the ball."

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.