BUFFALO, N.Y. — During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in deaths from drug overdoses, with a roughly 38% increase throughout the nation and a roughly 44% increase in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data released this year by the CDC, however, found that deaths related to drug overdoses have declined in both areas.
What You Need To Know
New York saw nearly a 44% increase in overdose deaths during 2020
Between 2024 and 2025, New York saw a decline in those deaths of about 35% — a trend after it saw a roughly 32% decrease between 2023 and 2024
Between 2024 and 2025, the U.S. saw a 20.6% decrease in overall overdose deaths
Looking at overdose numbers in upstate New York, the highest numbers can be found in Erie and Monroe counties, but they are still improving. In fact, New York is seeing that decline in a rate that is above the national average. Overdoses declined by about 35% in New York between 2024 and 2025, and declined a little over 20% nationally during that time period.
The state Department of Health credits this decline to the intentional work done by both the state and federal government.
“We do a lot of effort to get people into treatment, whether it’s with buprenorphine products or others, but treatments much more available. Naloxone distribution is something we do a lot of,” said Dr. James McDonald, commissioner, state Department of Health.
He also said that the way drugs are prescribed has changed significantly. One of the initiatives that came out of Gov. Hochul’s State of the State this year is the health department will be working on guidance for prescribers in how to really prescribe for pain and prescribe less opioids and more non-opioids to help move people away from them.
“When you look at August of ’25, it was the first month we were under 4,000 deaths in New York state. That’s still a lot of people have passed away. So it’s really important. There is no one celebrating anything here at the New York State Department of Health. There’s a lot more work to do, but we are seeing trends heading in the right direction,” said McDonald.
Another change in trends surrounding overdose deaths are the main drugs that lead to overdoses: what were once prescription drugs are now mainly fentanyl and cocaine.
McDonald stresses how important getting help is for those who suffer from addiction and how important it is for their loved ones to support them during that process. The Department of Health recently launched a new website that puts all of the state’s resources in one spot.