In 2023, our nation witnessed it first annual decline in overdose deaths since 2018. In 2022, there were more than 111,000 deaths. In 2023, that number dropped to 107,543. Although modest, this suggests that national efforts to reduce overdoses are having a positive impact. However, the work is not over.
In March 2024, the The National Center for Health Statistics released a data report (PDF | 410 KB) looking at overdose deaths from 2002 to 2022. Their results show disparities that exist in fatal overdose between racial and ethnic groups. The population with the highest fatal drug overdose rate in 2022 was Non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives, with a staggering 65.2 deaths per 100,000 people. That rate is about 13 times higher than non-Hispanic Asians, who had the lowest rate of 5.3 deaths per 100,000.
These data demonstrate the importance of raising awareness of this issue through campaigns such as International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). IOAD was established in 2001 in Australia as a day to remember and honor those lost to overdose worldwide. Since 2012, the Penington Institute has led the campaign, which takes place every year on August 31.
The 2024 theme for IOAD, “Together We Can,” encourages community, unity and action, reminding us that we have the power to make a difference when we work together. Consistency between Biden-Harris Unity Agenda for the NationUS Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategyand SAMHSA’s Strategic Plan allows for greater capacity to target overdose.
SAMHSA’s role in preventing overdose and overdose deaths is supported through a range of initiatives, including grants, publications, and the implementation of regulatory changes that support prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery efforts across the country.
Grants
State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grants allow grantees to address the barriers individuals face when receiving opioid use disorder (MOUD) medication, provide harm reduction services, and create a saturation plan naloxone. The TOR grant focuses on indigenous peoples, encouraging these communities to include traditional cultural practices in their grant-making activities.
According to SAMHSA’s 2022 Report to Congress on the SOR grant (PDF | 1 MB), grantees distributed more than 10 million naloxone kits and reversed more than 550,000 overdoses. Many beneficiaries used their funds to support opioid treatment programs (OTP) and office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), allowing nearly 1.3 million people to receive MOUD. Since the TOR program began in 2018, Tribes has purchased and distributed nearly 50,000 naloxone kits and 40,000 fentanyl test strips and trained over 26,000 community members in the use of naloxone.
The Harm Reduction Grants Program supports community-based programs in a range of services, including dispensing opioid overdose reversal medications, providing overdose education, and referring people to HIV and hepatitis care. Beneficiaries can also use funds to purchase needed supplies, such as fentanyl test strips and syringes.
Publications
In early 2024, SAMHSA released the Harm Reduction Framework, which provides a comprehensive overview of harm reduction and its role in shaping HHS’s work. Following SAMHSA’s first Harm Reduction Summit in 2021, a steering committee of experts, including those with lived experience, helped inform the development of this framework.
Additionally, in 2024, SAMHSA revised the Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit. The updated version of the document includes sections tailored for different audiences. Audiences include first responders, patients receiving prescription opioids, and people who use drugs. The toolkit includes information on harm reduction and opioid overdose reversal medications such as naloxone. Also available in Spanish.
Regulatory Changes
SAMHSA has played an important role in the revision and implementation of Part 8 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). These regulations set the standards for substance use treatment provided in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and had not been updated in more than 20 years. The revisions to 42 CFR Part 8 reflect the progress the field has made: increasing access to MOUD by providing telehealth and take-home medication flexibilities for patients receiving care in OTPs, eliminating stigmatizing regulatory language, and emphasizing the importance of patient-centered care.
These activities are a small sample of the work SAMHSA is doing at the federal level to prevent substance use, support harm reduction, and increase access to treatment and recovery for substance use disorders.
With this year’s IOAD theme in mind, there are actions we can all take to mark International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 and make an impact all year long.
Together we can:
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you’re ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).
