Governor Lamont Announces Dramatic Decline in Overdose Deaths in Connecticut

Governor Ned Lamont today announced preliminary figures from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) showing a 26% decline in overdose deaths in 2024 compared to those in 2023. The state’s efforts to expand access and availability of life-saving medication, in addition to public education and harm reduction efforts, have been essential in addressing the opioid and overdose epidemic.

“Let there be no doubt, the opioid crisis remains a very serious public health issue,” Governor Lamont said. “The 990 individuals we lost in 2024 to overdose is far too many of our family, friends, and loved ones to take a victory lap or celebrate when there is still so much more work to do. But, we can be heartened that the data is moving in the right direction, with three consecutive years of fewer deaths due to the robust efforts taken to saturate the state with naloxone and train the community on its lifesaving administration, as well as enhance public awareness of the risks associated drugs like fentanyl. We are at a critical inflection point in this crisis and I have confidence that the investments being made by the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee and state and federal resources will continue to reduce deaths and provide a path to treatment and recovery supports.”

Data from the DPH Drug Overdose Report found 990 confirmed drug overdose deaths in 2024, compared to 1,338 in 2023. There has been a decreasing trend of overdose deaths consecutively over the last three years. Approximately 76% of these deaths involved fentanyl. (More data can be found here.)

“These data from the DPH Drug Overdose Report are promising, but the hard work to protect public health and save lives continues,” DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said. “Every life lost to overdose forever alters the life of an entire family and countless loved ones. At DPH, we have implemented numerous prevention efforts to address this problem. Amplifying state and local partnerships, applying harm reduction strategies, and interventions to prevent young people from starting to use substances in the first place make up a public health strategy that will help our communities. Our work continues to keep these data trending in the right direction until no lives are lost to drug overdose.”

“These numbers show that our hard work and innovative approaches are making a difference in peoples’ lives across the state,” Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Commissioner Nancy Navarretta said. “Connecticut has demonstrated a clear commitment to reducing overdose deaths, and increasing access to harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports. We are starting to see some positive results- and the work must continue. By adopting and implementing a statewide naloxone saturation plan with our partners, we have been able to make life-saving tools available at no cost across the state and we see the results in a third consecutive year of decreases in fatal overdoses. With the increased availability to medication for opioid use disorder and expansions to the service array through settlement dollars, it is our mission to continue this trajectory.”

At DMHAS, the Opioid Services Division was established in 2018 in response to the growing overdose crisis and to expand statewide access to the prevention of opioid use disorder, opioid treatment, recovery support, harm reduction, outreach, engagement, and overdose prevention coverage with a focus on overdose deaths. DMHAS has secured funding from the federal government, including the State Opioid Response grant, and ensures that all opioid-related funding is coordinated. In partnership with numerous state and community-based organizations, DMHAS has launched a series of targeted responses intended to reduce the negative impact of opioid use on Connecticut citizens and communities. The division manages projects and initiatives that resulted from infusion of State Opioid Response grant funding as well as those approved by the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee.

Among the 2024 improvements include:

• Expanded innovative services in the state, adding three and continuing to support original Harm Reduction Centers in municipalities with highest morbidity rates: Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven, and New London;
• Added outreach services via Peer Navigator Programs in two areas of the state;
• Distributed close to 60,000 naloxone kits (naloxone is a lifesaving, overdose reversal medication), exceeding the state saturation goal for the year;
• Hosted a successful and informative Harm Reduction Conference. The conference included four expert speakers from around the country, as well as two panel discussions, focused on addressing equity, and stigma, 390 individuals attended the conference: 263 in person and 127 virtually.

Additional information is available on the DMHAS Opioid Services Division website at portal.ct.gov/dmhas/programs-and-services/opioid-treatment/opioid-services.

Anyone seeking services regarding opioid use disorder in Connecticut should visit www.liveloud.org or call 1-800-563-4086 any time, day or night.