NPR: Overdose Deaths Drop Nationally, Rise in Some Western States

Published on June 17, 2026

Nationally, the US overdose crisis continues to show improvement, but some Western states are seeing overdose deaths climb sharply in opposition to this trend, according to a recent NPR article. To highlight current trends for its stakeholders, the SR-DDRC prepared this summary of the article and featured data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Street drug deaths in the U.S. fell roughly 14% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to preliminary CDC data. Overall, 69,973 people died from fatal overdoses last year nationwide which is about 11,300 fewer deaths compared with 2024 data. NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow notes that this is good news and that the declines first appeared in 2023 but were too small to be confident they would continue.

Graph source: Ahmad FB, Cisewski JA, Rossen LM, Sutton P. 2026. “Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts.” National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/20250305008

The article reports that a range of factors contributes to this drop, such as widespread availability of Narcan in communities and the consideration of naloxone as first aid. Additionally, less potent fentanyl and fewer young people using drugs also contribute to the decline. Alabama, New York, and Virginia, saw especially steep declines, with fatalities dropping between 25% and 30% over the year. Nationally, 2025 marked the lowest 12-month death toll since at least 2019, a sharp drop from the peak of 112,418 deaths recorded in the summer of 2023.

Though this picture is positive, U.S. drug deaths remain high compared to other countries, and some states like Arizona, New Mexico, and North Dakota saw sharp increases in overdose deaths in 2025, partially because of more potent fentanyl and methamphetamine as well as lack of access to medical care. In some rural communities, drive time is over two hours to receive medical care.

Overdose deaths remain disproportionately high among older Americans and in many Black and Native American communities, with researchers noting that overdose mortality among Native Americans is roughly double the national rate, particularly in states like Arizona and New Mexico. The uneven progress suggests that while the national trend is encouraging, the benefit is not reaching every community equally and underscores the continued need for targeted resources where the crisis remains most severe.

For the full article, please visit the NPR article at the following link: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5836300/u-s-street-drug-deaths-keep-dropping-but-some-western-states-see-deadly-overdose-surge

References

Ahmad FB, Cisewski JA, Rossen LM, Sutton P. 2026. “Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts.” National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/20250305008.

Mann, Brian. May 28, 2026. "U.S. Street Drug Deaths Keep Dropping, But Some Western States See Deadly Overdose Surge." National Public Radio. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5836300/u-s-street-drug-deaths-keep-dropping-but-some-western-states-see-deadly-overdose-surge.