Overdose Deaths Down Statewide, Still High in Our Area
The numbers of overdose deaths in Ohio have dropped substantially for a second consecutive calendar year.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH)’s 2023 Ohio Unintentional Drug Overdose Report, released today, revealed a 9% decline in verified overdose deaths across the state. In 2023, Ohio recorded 4,452 unintentional drug overdose deaths, down from 4,915 in 2022.
The report shows that Ohio has now outperformed national overdose death trends for two years in a row. In 2023, Ohio’s 9% decrease in overdose deaths was better than the 2% decrease seen nationwide. In 2022, Ohio’s 5% decrease in overdose deaths was better than the 1% increase seen nationwide.
The numbers are still high in our area. The death rate per 100,000 population in most of southern Ohio remains high according to the report.
By County Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths 2020-2023
- Meigs – 94.0
- Gallia – 81.5
- Vinton – 116.4
- Athens – 44.0
- Washington – 38.2
Focus has been on areas including intervention, treatment, and enforcement.
“When I became Governor in 2019, I made fighting drug addiction and preventing overdose deaths one of my administration’s top priorities,” Governor Mike DeWine said at a news conference announcing the release of the report. “This new data shows that Ohio is on the right track, and the numbers have been getting more encouraging each of the past few years. But we also recognize that our work is far from complete – that every overdose death remains a tragedy. These results further sharpen our resolve to continue our fight to save more lives.”
The full report can be read by clicking here.
