Tennessee reports decrease in overdose deaths

After years of increases, the number of fatal drug overdoses fell both in Tennessee and nationwide. After collecting and analyzing data, researchers found Tennessee’s overall overdose rate fell 6.6% between 2023 and 2022 with the number of overdoses dropping from 56 per 100,000 people to 52.3 per 100,000. Tennessee’s overdose death rate has increased 20 of the past 24 years. At the same time, the U.S. saw its rate drop 4% in the same period. This falling rate may be because of combined effort, such as giving wider access to over-the-counter naloxone, opioid abatement funding and programs, and other efforts. One concerning trend is that overdose deaths have trended younger in recent years.