A new analysis of opioid fatalities by state reveals encouraging trends in the fight against the opioid epidemic, with some states seeing significant declines while others continue to struggle. Using the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers measured the percentage change in opioid-related death rates from June 2023 to June 2024.

Nationwide, opioid-related deaths peaked at 85,387 in mid-2023 but declined to 71,484 by June 2024—a 16% drop. The decrease is largely driven by a nearly 20% reduction in deaths linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Meanwhile, heroin-related fatalities have plummeted nearly 80% over the past five years.

Kansas has seen one of the sharpest declines, with opioid-related deaths falling from 17.6 per 100,000 residents in June 2023 to 13.1 in June 2024—a 25.5% decrease, ranking ninth in the nation.

The full report includes data from 44 states and Washington, D.C., offering a detailed breakdown of opioid-related fatalities across the country.

Over the past two decades, opioid-related deaths have risen from fewer than 10,000 annually to a peak of 85,387 in the trailing 12 months ending in July 2023. The most dramatic surges occurred during the early years of the fentanyl-driven third wave (2013–2017) and again between 2020 and 2022, when the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the crisis. Illicit fentanyl became the dominant driver of fatal overdoses during this period, infiltrating drug supplies nationwide and significantly increasing the lethality of substance use. As a result, opioids have remained the primary factor in the vast majority of overdose deaths.

For the first time since 2018, opioid-related deaths have begun to decline. After peaking in mid-2023, deaths fell to 71,484 for the 12-month period ending in June 2024, marking a 16% drop. Over the same period, the opioid-related death rate declined from 25.5 per 100,000 people to 21.0, a reduction of more than 17%.

Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, remain the leading cause of opioid-related deaths in the U.S., though fatalities have started to decline. In the 12-month period ending in June 2024, deaths from synthetic opioids fell nearly 20% compared to the 12-month period ending in June 2023, dropping from 77,669 to 62,364.

Meanwhile, deaths from heroin have been steadily declining for years. In the 12-month period ending in June 2019, heroin was responsible for 14,743 deaths, but by June 2023, that number had dropped to 4,973, a 66% decline over four years. The trend continued into June 2024, with heroin-related deaths falling another 35% to 3,242. Other opioids, including prescription painkillers, accounted for 9,317 deaths in the 12 months ending in June 2024, a 21% decline from June 2023, while methadone-related deaths remained relatively low at 3,388, with only a 5% decrease year-over-year.

Men continue to account for the majority of opioid-related deaths, though declines have been consistent across sexes. In the 12-month period ending in June 2023, men accounted for 61,111 fatalities, while women accounted for 24,276. By June 2024, deaths declined by a similar percentage in both groups, with male deaths dropping 19% to 49,404, and female deaths falling 19% to 19,723. Despite these improvements, men remain disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis, with opioid-related deaths among males continuing to outnumber those among females by more than 2-to-1.