This year, Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st, which means it’s time to increase our understanding of what’s happening with the drug overdose crisis in the U.S., and specifically, whether we observed overdose rates increase or decrease in 2023, the last year for which we have reliable data.
We’ll cut right to the news:
Overdose rates decreased in 2023.
Here’s how Deb Houry, Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), describes this development:
“The decrease is a testament to the hard work by all of our partners in this…coordinated federal effort on prevention, services, and harm reduction. However, this does not mean we have accomplished our mission. There are still families and friends losing their loved ones to drug overdoses at staggering numbers. This progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts knowing that our strategies are making a difference. Our country is committed to ending this epidemic.”
Dr. Houry makes a good point. The decrease shows we’re headed in the right direction. However, as she indicates, there is still work to do.
Should We Celebrate the Decrease or Not?
Every life saved from overdose is a miracle and every life lost to overdose is a tragedy. Therefore, yes, we absolutely do celebrate the fact that for the first time since 2018, year-to-year overdose rates dropped in 2023. But we’re not standing on a mountaintop proclaiming victory over the overdose crisis for one simple reason: rates of overdose are still far, far too high.
Consider the facts:
- Fatal overdose rates 2001-2022: 459% increase
- Fatal overdose rates 2022-2023: 3% decrease
- Fatal overdose rates 2001-2023: 443% increase
That’s why we’re keeping our eye on the ball. We’re not backing off our efforts to address the overdose crisis – we’re doubling down on all our work, especially around harm reduction, which likely has had an impact on the reduction in overdose deaths in 2023.
We encourage anyone at risk of overdose to consider seeking professional treatment and support. There are a wide range of levels of care available from most well-regarded treatment centers, including:
- Medically Assisted Detox
- Residential/Inpatient Program
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- General Outpatient (GOP)
When you seek treatment, it’s important to find a treatment center that meets you where you are, and offers support you need, when you need it, in a way you’re willing to receive it.
EXPLORE: Nearby Locations – Pinnacle Treatment Centers
What Affects Overdose Risk?
People at highest risk of fatal overdose are people with a substance use disorder (SUD), specifically an opioid use disorder (OUD). With that said, it’s important to understand that deaths from alcohol-related causes are higher than those caused by any other substance of misuse. Most of those deaths are from alcohol-related pathologies, rather than acute alcohol poisoning, a.k.a. alcohol overdose.
That’s why it’s as important for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) to seek treatment: it can decrease the risk of premature mortality. One thing many people don’t know is that there’s a type of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for alcohol use disorder as well as opioid use disorder (OUD).
But we’re getting sidetracked: the topic of this section is risk of overdose, with a focus on opioids.
A study published last year calls attention to overdose risk in rural communities:
READ: Does Geographical Location Increase Risk of Opioid Overdose?
Another addresses the impact of outpatient treatment on risk of relapse for patients in MAT programs:
READ: Does Outpatient Treatment Reduce Risk of Relapse for People on Medication-Assisted Treatment?
We know that participation in counseling and therapy as early as possible in the recovery process improves overall outcomes and increases the chance a person with OUD will achieve sustained, long-term recovery.
There’s another approach that supports this traditional approach, too – and can help reduce both overdose risk and overdose fatalities: harm reduction.
Harm Reduction: Evidence-Based Approach to the Overdose Crisis
The state of Kentucky recently initiated a harm reduction program to address the opioid and drug overdose crisis. The Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, presides of a robust harm reduction effort that includes expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), increased access to Narcan, increasing access to treatment for people without insurance, and increasing vocational, housing, education support, and access to social services all improve outcomes for people in MAT programs for people with substance use disorder.
Here’s how he describes the harm reduction program in Kentucky:
“By working together, we have decreased the amount of drug overdose deaths, yet still far too many lives have been lost, and we still have a long way to go. We are creating a home where fewer children will know the pain of addiction and loss of a loved one to an overdose. We have remained committed to helping our families overcome addiction and celebrate our progress and renew that commitment today.”
If you’re not familiar with harm reduction, here’s an article the basics:
READ: National Harm Reduction Research Effort Could Reduce Overdose Deaths
Evidence from around the country shows harm reduction programs that include increasing access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), the overdose reversing medication Narcan, syringe exchange programs, fentanyl test strips, and connecting patients to social services all decrease overdose risk, an improve outcomes for people with opioid use disorder (OUD).
Here’s an article that describes the situation in Kentucky that led Governor Bashear to advocate for and initiate harm reduction programs in Kentucky:
READ: The Opioid Crisis: Spotlight on Kenton County, Kentucky
Here’s another that discusses a specific demographic group at increased overdose risk in Kentucky:
READ: The Opioid Crisis: Overdose Among Non-Hispanic Black Residents of Kentucky
And here’s an article on a unique program – a new approach to MAT – that Governor Bashear included in the Kentucky harm reduction initiative:
READ: What is Ibogaine?
All that to drive home the ideas that harm reduction works, states are getting on board, and research into new approaches to harm reduction continue nationwide.
What Else Affects Overdose Risk?
With regards to opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose, we know the things we list in the previous section – access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), easy access to Narcan, syringe exchange programs, fentanyl test strips, and connecting patients to social services – all decrease overdose risk.
We also know that when a person on MAT receives counseling and therapy, outcomes improve, as we mention in an article we link to above. It’s also important to understand that leveraging new technologies can help:
READ: New Developments in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): The Role of Telehealth
During COVID, federal authorities expanded the role of telehealth in MAT, increasing access to people who needed MAT, but could not access resources for various reasons, including those associated with public health measures implemented to stop the spread of the disease. While many of the rule changes will become permanent, others will not: to learn more, read our articles here, here, and here.
Integrated Treatment: People First, Healing First
One thing driving the overdose crisis is an increase in co-occurring disorders. People who have a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health disorder at the same time receive a diagnosis for co-occurring disorders. The presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder alongside a substance use disorder increases risk of overdose, compared to the presence of a substance use disorder alone. This foregrounds the necessity of therapy, counseling, lifestyle changes, and social support in treating co-occurring disorders. In other words, it tells us people with co-occurring disorders need both diagnoses treated at the same, or as part of the same treatment plan in an appropriate sequence, as determined through collaboration between patient and provider.
READ: What is Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders?
If you or someone you know may benefit from immersive, evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), please contact us today. We’ll design a comprehensive treatment plan that gives them a real chance at sustainable recovery. We commit to supporting them through the whole process with case management and peer support, and offer ongoing aftercare services after their formal treatment program ends.
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