Los Angeles has struggled with drug overdoses for years, but recent data suggest improvement. According to the county public health department, in 2024, drug-related deaths declined 22 percent compared to previous years.
“We have reason to celebrate as overdoses are dropping, especially with declining fentanyl and meth deaths—these drugs cause most overdoses,” said Brian Hurley, addiction physician and medical director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control for LA County Public Health, during an American Community Media ACoM briefing.
Fentanyl-related deaths fell 37 percent, and meth-related deaths dropped 20 percent.
Drug-related overdose and poisoning deaths dropped from 3,137 deaths in 2023 to 2,438 deaths in 2024, the lowest number recorded since 2019.
In 2024, Black people showed the highest number of fentanyl-related deaths at 29 percent, while Latino and White people had the highest numbers of overdose deaths.
“Nobody is immune to the drug crisis plaguing Los Angeles, as the data shows that both young and older groups are affected, and while males are victims of overdoses at a higher rate, women aren’t that far behind,” Hurley said.
Fentanyl has been a major driver of accidental overdose deaths, surpassing methamphetamine in 2022 as the most common drug type listed as a cause of death. In 2024, the proportion of accidental overdose deaths involving fentanyl declined to 52 percent, down from 64 percent in 2023. In 2024, fentanyl overdose deaths occurred most often among adults between the ages of 40 and 64, followed by adults between the ages of 26 and 39.
“One of the strategies we are implementing is partnerships with schools across LAUSD to have Narcan, Naroxone, fentanyl test strips, syringe access, peer counseling, drug checkages, and links to other health programs for teachers and students to access.” Shoshanna Scholar, Director of the Harm.
The Reduction Division at LA County Health Services discussed the harm reduction and intervention plan the county uses. “We want to remove that lock zone that prevents people from helping themselves and others around them who are dealing with drug addiction or that prevents them from helping strangers on the street experiencing an overdose.”
In a survey that included nearly 1600 people, who voted that homelessness, crime, and cost of living were at the top of their concerns living in LA, nearly 46 percent of residents rated drug use as a big issue in their communities. Residents hold mixed attitudes toward people who use drugs. Most expressed empathy, recognizing structural factors beyond individual control.
The results from the survey encouraged LA County Public Health to open 12 new local health hubs in high-overdose-risk areas, providing drop-in and other health services, with five more planned. More than one million doses of Naloxone, 100,000 fentanyl test strips, 3,000,000 sterile syringes, and 40,000 wound care kits have been distributed through community services, mobile units, and community events. To learn more about intervention and how to gain access to supplies, visit https://bylaforla.org/