Governor Andy Beshear announced that overdose deaths in the Commonwealth decreased for the third year in a row, with a 30.2% decrease in 2024 compared with the previous year.
Additionally, among Black Kentuckians, which had not previously seen a decrease, there was a 37.3% decrease in 2024. This data is from the 2024 Kentucky Overdose Fatality Report, which documents drug-related deaths of specifically Kentucky residents. Beshear said the new numbers are an encouraging sign for people struggling with substance use disorders.
“I am thankful that more Kentuckians are alive and in recovery today and that fewer families are grieving this year than in any year since at least 2018,” said Beshear. “We won’t stop working to help everyone out there that needs help, but if you’re struggling with addiction, hear this news and know that the treatment and recovery options out there are effective.”
Beshear said efforts including Medicaid and Kentucky Opioid Response Effort’s support of addiction services, syringe exchange program sites and use of Narcan contributed to success in preventing overdose deaths.
Van Ingram serves as the Executive Director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. Ingram, who has served in the agency for more than 20 years, said the number of overdose deaths climbed during the pandemic and the decreases seen in the last three years prove that prevention efforts work.
“We’re excited about these numbers, it’s showing our work is paying off and we’re going to continue to do that work, because there’s still a lot to go,” said Ingram. “We still lost 1,400 Kentuckians and so our work is not finished, not by a long shot. It’s just time to get back to work.”
Ingram said many people all over the state contributed to decreasing drug overdose deaths, including public health, recovery centers, community advocates, treatment providers and prevention specialists.
In 2023, Kentucky reported a 9.8% decrease compared with 2022. In 2022, there was a decrease of 2.5% from 2021, marking the first year Kentucky saw a decrease in overdose deaths since 2018.
The 2024 Kentucky Overdose Fatality Report is compiled by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center using data from the Office of Vital Statistics, the Office of the State Medical Examiner and Kentucky’s coroners. For more information, visit the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy website.