Here’s some good news: last year (2024), Kentucky saw a big drop in drug overdose deaths. In fact, there were 30.2 percent fewer fatalities than the prior year (1,410 total deaths in 2023). This is the lowest total in several years and marks the third consecutive year of improvement. Experts say the drop is due to aggressive prevention and treatment efforts, including expanded access to Narcan, needle exchange programs, and increased availability of addiction recovery services such as housing, transportation, and employment assistance. Despite these gains, the state continues to fight trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine, which are responsible for most overdose cases. This recent report offers hope for but there are still around four overdose deaths every single day in the Commonwealth.