WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated more than 107,000 people died from a drug overdose in the U.S. last year.
Provisional data show the number of overdose deaths fell 7.5% in the year that ended March 31. But despite the progress, there's a long way to go, said Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
“We see you,” he said. “We grieve with you. We are working every day to ensure our nation has the resources that we all need to end this crisis.”
During Overdose Awareness Week, officials from president Joe Biden's administration are meeting with families who lost loved ones and highlighting actions to address the epidemic, including making the overdose-reversing drug naloxone available over the counter, removing a barrier for prescribing medication for opioid use disorder and adding new drug detecting systems at ports of entry.
“It is important to take an approach that addresses both our folks at home in helping advance treatment but also holding bad guys accountable,” Gupta said.
Biden’s 2025 Budget requests $22 billion to expand substance use treatment and recovery services.
The Northern Kentucky Health Department, which distributes harm reduction supplies like naloxone through kiosks and a mail-order service, said there were nearly 50 suspected overdoses, including three that were deadly in a one-month period this summer.
Harm reduction health educator Gabi Deaton said the department responded to the spikes by handing out supplies like naloxone through pop-up events in areas near the reported overdoses.
“It's really just about educating the community, reducing stigma, trying to get these harm reduction supplies out to as many people that are willing to carry them,” she said.
Deaton is also a photographer, and her annual Black Balloon Project shares the photos and stories of those lost to overdose and the people who loved them. She’s been in recovery 13 years.
“I overdosed twice, one at 18 and one at 19, and naloxone saved my life both times," she said. "So for me, it's like this ... full-circle moment. If it wasn't for naloxone, I wouldn't be able to be here advocating for other people's family members.”