- US deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide all fell in 2024 – drug deaths down 26%, alcohol deaths down 4% and suicides down 3% – according to Trust for America’s Health.
- The non-profit credits wider access to health services and early-intervention programs, and says the decline carried into 2025.
- Progress is uneven: suicide deaths remain high in some groups, notably American Indian communities, and researchers warn the gains could stall without sustained investment.
American overdose deaths fell 26% in a single year – the clearest sign in a generation that the drug epidemic is finally in retreat, and the decline is still going.
The figures come from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-profit public health body, in its “Pain in the Nation 2026” report. In 2024, alcohol deaths fell 4%, drug deaths fell 26%, and suicides fell 3% – a trend researchers say continued into 2025.
Behind the percentages are real people who lived: parents, kids and neighbors who, in another year, the data would have counted among the lost.
TFAH points to concrete reasons for the shift, chiefly wider access to health services and the spread of early-intervention programs. None of it happened by accident – it tracks with choices and funding that can be continued or cut.
The report is honest about who is being left behind. Progress is uneven, and suicide deaths remain stubbornly high in some communities.
“We are also seeing specific groups of people not experiencing the same progress, especially when it comes to deaths from suicide,” said Dr. Nadine Gracia, TFAH’s president. “We need to do even more to build strong policies and programmes that help to improve everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.”
Researchers warn the gains are fragile and could stall if support for these programs falls away. For now, though, the curve that pointed grimly upward for years has finally bent the other way – and it is still falling.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or thoughts of suicide, support is available:
- SAMHSA National Helpline: A free, confidential, 24/7 information and treatment referral service. Visit SAMHSA National Helpline or Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
- FindTreatment.gov: An official U.S. government tool to find local, state-licensed substance use treatment facilities.
