Approximately 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2025, representing a 14% decrease from the previous year and marking the third consecutive annual decline, according to preliminary government data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 2025 total represents the longest period of sustained decline in decades and brings overdose deaths to levels similar to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths decreased across multiple drug categories, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, with the vast majority of states reporting declines. However, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico saw notable increases.

US overdose deaths had been rising for decades before spiking dramatically during the pandemic, reaching nearly 110,000 in 2022. The pandemic increase was linked to social isolation and reduced access to addiction treatment. Researchers attribute the recent decline to multiple factors, including increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment programs, and billions of dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements.

Despite the positive trend, health officials are monitoring emerging threats in the drug supply. Toxicology laboratories have identified 23 new drug substances in the first five months of 2026, compared to 27 for all of 2025. Among these is cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid described as up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl that is being used as a cutting agent without users' knowledge.

Concurrently, the Trump administration has reduced funding for some overdose prevention programs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently notified grant recipients that federal funding would no longer cover test strips and kits that help users detect lethal additives in drugs. Officials say they are shifting away from services that facilitate illicit drug use, including clean syringe programs.

Public health researchers express cautious optimism about the declining trend while warning that deaths could rise again due to policy changes or shifts in the drug supply. The current death toll, while decreasing, remains significantly elevated compared to historical levels.