White House Drug Policy Director Statement on Historic Decline in Drug Overdose Deaths Over the Past Year

Washington, D.C. – Today, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta released the following statement on the latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing drug overdose deaths declined by 14.5% year-over-year (in the 12-months ending June 2024). This is the largest recorded reduction in overdose deaths, and the seventh consecutive month of reported decreases in predicted 12-month total numbers of drug overdose deaths.

“When President Biden and Vice President Harris first took office, the number of drug overdose deaths was increasing 31% year-over-year. That’s why this Administration took immediate action – to make beating the opioid crisis a top priority and a key pillar of the President’s Unity Agenda for the Nation. Over the past four years, we have removed decades-long barriers to treatment for millions of Americans, we have made life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone more accessible and affordable across the country, and we have invested historic levels of funding to crack down on the supply of illicit fentanyl at the border. The latest data show that our efforts are working, and as a result, there were 16,000 fewer overdose deaths over the last year. Every life saved means one less grieving family and community. The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to continue delivering meaningful progress to reduce drug overdose deaths and save even more lives.”

Read more on the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to address the overdose epidemic HERE.

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