Public health data shows overdose deaths across the U.S. have plummeted. But in Utah, there still remains an increase.
The decline in drug overdose deaths was first reported by NPR on Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compiled national surveys that showed a 10.6% drop in overdose deaths.
“This is the largest decrease on record and the fifth consecutive month of recorded decreases,” Rahul Gupta, the director of National Drug Control Policy in the White House, told NPR.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a map showing both predicted and reported numbers of overdose deaths in every state. The data compares two 12-month periods — one ending in April 2023 and the other in April 2024.
The numbers are provisional for each state, which means when the data is finalized, the shifts could look a little different.
The predictive data for Utah shows a 8.08% increase in overdose deaths — 722 deaths for the yearlong period ending in April 2024, and 668 deaths in the yearlong period ending in April 2023. The U.S. overall is predicted to see a 10% decline in overdose deaths.