US drug overdose deaths dropped for third straight year in 2025, CDC data shows
- By Reuters -
- May 14, 2026
AA
ResizeDrug overdose deaths in the US fell nearly 14% in 2025, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Wednesday, marking a third consecutive year of declines.
Here are some details:
- Nearly 69,973 people died from drug overdose in the U.S. in 2025, compared with 81,313 deaths estimated a year earlier, according to provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- The wide availability of a medication called naloxone, a potent overdose antidote, has significantly contributed to the drop, according to experts.
- Deaths involving opioids fell to an estimated 44,564 in 2025 from 55,296 a year earlier, the CDC estimates showed.
- Synthetic opioids, including Fentanyl, are the single largest contributor to overdose deaths in the country.
- While most states across the nation showed declines in overdose deaths, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado had increases of 10% or more compared to the same period in 2024, the report said.