Overdose deaths drop to lowest level since pre-pandemic
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Boulder County mirrors the national trend, as drug overdose deaths last year fell to their lowest annual level since 2019, and decreased in almost every state, according to preliminary CDC data.
The big picture: Fatal overdoses initially rose during the COVID pandemic, but have been falling since 2023, driven in part by wider availability of naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, per CBS News.
By the numbers: Boulder County saw a drop in overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, particularly fentanyl deaths, according to the coroner's office.
- The city recorded 69 overdose deaths in 2023, 41 from fentanyl, 22 from methamphetamine and 15 from cocaine. That number dropped to 59 in 2024, 27 from fentanyl, 28 from methamphetamine and five from cocaine.
- So far this year, the office has recorded 25 overdose deaths, 17 from fentanyl, 14 from methamphetamine, two from cocaine.
- There were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year — a drop of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023.
Follow the money: BCPH officials said investment and changing attitudes around harm reduction contributed to the local decline in deaths.
- Much of that has come from opioid settlement funding, which Boulder County poured into services that address substance use, increased access to naloxone and fentanyl test strips, and community-based harm reduction outreach.
- From 2023 to 2024, nearly $3 million in settlement money was distributed across the Boulder County region. For 2025–2026, almost $4 million in expenditures are planned.
What to watch: Experts warn a Trump administration budget proposal that would cut health services threatens this decline.
- Local funding sources, like Colorado's Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund, also face cuts that could result in devastating impacts on communities including Boulder, BCHP officials said.
What's next: Boulder County officials told Axios that "the illicit drug supply continues to evolve," and "sustained investment in a responsive surveillance and early alert system is critical."
- The county would also benefit from additional harm reduction tools like supervised consumption sites, comprehensive drug checking and policy reforms that reduce criminal penalties related to drug use.