Fewer Overdose Deaths in Michigan: What’s Driving the Decline

The overdose crisis in Michigan is bending in the right direction, and the numbers are no longer all that high. Provisional Center for Disease Control data shows a historic 27% drop in U.S. overdose deaths in 2024, with Michigan among states posting declines of 36% or more.

What it Means to Michigan

The downward trend started in the state of Michigan before 2024. The MDHHS reported a 5.7% decline in 2023, from 2,998 overdose deaths in 2022 to 2,826 in 2023, and officials projected a third straight year of improvement heading into 2024.

What It Means for Michigan

The shift, according to experts, say that it is tied to harm-reduction strategies now baked into Michigan's response: more naloxone in more hands, wider access to treatment, and less reliance on punitive approaches. That also mirrors what local providers have been saying as well.

Why the Numbers Are Falling

Rural pockets have still struggled, underscoring how distance, stigma, and resources can shape some of these outcomes. Huron County, for example, has bucked the statewide trend, making sure policymakers are aware that averages don't mean everything.

Where the Declines Lag

Billions from opioid settlements are flowing to states, including here in Michigan, to help upscale treatment, recovery housing, and street-level harm reduction. National analysts credit these investments for the sharp 2024 decline, alongside changing drug supplies and border naloxone training.

The state's monthly dashboards and CDC's rolling 12-month charts, which will confirm whether those 2024 drops stay where they were or whether 2025 sustains it. Public health leaders warn that pulling back from funding now could reverse some of these effects. Michigan data teams and treatment networks are watching this closely.