After years of mounting deaths from opioid addiction, Texas drug-related fatalities fell in 2024 from their 2023 peak. Combined with a similar national decline, the data offers hope that the worst may have passed.
$1.6 Billion Investment
Texas established the Opioid Abatement Fund Council in 2021 to spend $1.6 billion over 18 years from a multi-state lawsuit settlement with 13 pharmaceutical companies. That money is now flowing into treatment, prevention, and harm reduction across Dallas and Texas.
Why Texas Fared Better
Texas had an average drug-related mortality rate less than one-third that of West Virginia from 1999-2023. Researchers point to a strong economy offering opportunities, demographics, and comparatively less fentanyl use than other regions.
The Numbers
Nationally, drug deaths dropped from 114,000 in August 2023 to under 87,000 by September 2024 - roughly 25,000 fewer deaths. Texas contributed to this decline with declining overdose rates in 2024.
Not Victory Yet
Texas has still lost more than 76,000 lives to drug overdoses since 1999. The crisis is not over, but the trajectory has changed for the better.
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