Statement from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on New Drug Overdose Death Data

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the following statement on the release of new drug overdose death data:

“When President Biden took office in January 2021, the overdose death rate was increasing 31% year-over-year. Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that drug overdose deaths fell 3% over the past year—the first decline in more than five years.

In 2021, we launched the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy—mobilizing communities across our country, providing historic amounts of funding to states, tribes and community organizations. We are executing on a data-driven strategy that focuses on the root causes of the crisis and the key evidence-based interventions we know can drive down overdose deaths. 

This new data confirms that our efforts are driving results. Drug overdoses destroy lives, families, and communities. But we have the tools and shared commitment across our nation to take on this challenge. And we have.

The Biden-Harris Administration has invested billions of dollars and significant expertise to beat the overdose epidemic. We have established and expanded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, which provide crisis services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anyone who requests care for behavioral health. We have helped rural communities address difficulties they face in providing and accessing buprenorphine – a life-saving medication to treat opioid use disorder that can be prescribed in routine health care settings – and other critical services. We have made Naloxone available over the counter at pharmacies and grocery stores.

These results show that our efforts are working. But we aren’t satisfied. HHS will continue to focus on the full range of solutions needed to address addiction for as long as necessary.”