This article discusses substance abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you can call the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline at 211 for free, confidential, 24/7 support.

WISCONSIN — New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed overdose deaths in Wisconsin dropped in 2023. 

In 2023, the CDC said 1,754 people died from an overdose in Wisconsin. That’s down by about 4% from 2022, when Wisconsin lost 1,828 lives to overdoses. 

However, 2023 saw 45% more overdose deaths than Wisconsin had in 2019. In 2019, 1,208 Wisconsinites died due to overdose. That number rose to 1,539 in 2020 and to 1,783 in 2021.

According to CDC data, these trends echo national numbers. In 2023 in the U.S., there were 107,543 overdose deaths. That’s down by 3.1% from 2022, when 111,029 people in the U.S. died from an overdose.

However, 2023 saw 49% more overdose deaths than the U.S. had in 2019. In 2019, 72,151 U.S. citizens died due to overdose. That number rose to 93,655 in 2020 and to 109,179 in 2021.

The CDC noted that 2023 numbers are preliminary, as some cases are still pending or under investigation. However, the CDC said it still expects to see lower numbers of overdose deaths in Wisconsin and nationally in finalized counts. More information is available, here.