Ohio overdose deaths plummeted in 2024
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Ohio drug overdose deaths fell by more than 35% from 2023 to 2024, according to preliminary CDC data — one of the most significant decreases in the country.
The big picture: Fatal overdoses last year dropped to their lowest annual level since 2019.
- They initially rose during the COVID pandemic, but have been falling since 2023.
Zoom in: Total overdose deaths in Cuyahoga County totaled 435 in 2024, according to county medical examiner Thomas Gilson.
- It's the first time the figure has dropped below 500 in a decade.
The intrigue: Gilson has attributed the decline to the diminishing availability of fentanyl in the community, but has warned that new drugs might take its place.
The latest: In one of the county's most significant drug busts in recent years, authorities this month seized more than 25 pounds of meth from two homes on Cleveland's west side.