D.C. overdose deaths plummeted last year
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Drug overdose deaths are seeing a dramatic drop in D.C., according to preliminary CDC data.
The big picture: Washington began seeing a crisis of fatal opioid overdoses as fentanyl use started to increase in the city several years ago, the Washington Post reports.
- And deaths due to opioid use disproportionately affect Black D.C. residents.
By the numbers: 406 District residents died from drug overdoses in 2024, the CDC estimates.
- That's a more than 37% drop from the 648 overdose deaths in 2023.
Meanwhile, D.C. recorded 342 fatal opioid overdoses last year — an almost 34% decrease from 516 in 2023, per a city tracker.
State of play: Fentanyl was the "top controlled dangerous substance" found in syringes analyzed between April 2024 and March of this year, according to the city tracker.
- And Wards 7 and 8 — areas of D.C. with a majority Black population — were home to the highest percentages of residents who died by overdose between February 2024 and January of this year.
Between the lines: The drop in overdose deaths is partly due to the wider availability of naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, per CBS News.
- Narcan, the best-known version of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023. It is standard issue for first responders and available in other public places.
The big picture: Drug overdose deaths nationwide dropped last year to their lowest annual level since 2019, per the CDC.
- Virginia and Maryland also saw declines between 2023 and 2024 — nearly 39% and 31%, respectively.
Zoom in: Other factors contributing to the decline could include increased availability of paper test strips that detect fentanyl in illicit or counterfeit drugs. These can reduce fatal overdoses when people take fentanyl-laced pills that look like prescription drugs.
- There are also more opioid treatment programs or providers of buprenorphine, a treatment that reduces the risk of future overdoses. These still don't reach many areas most in need.
What to watch: Experts warn a Trump administration budget proposal that would cut health services threatens this decline.