Accidental drug overdose deaths in L.A. County are decreasing
Accidental drug overdose and poisoning deaths plunged by 22% in Los Angeles County last year, according to a new report, marking the most substantial single-year decline on record.
The 2024 overdose death toll of 2,438 is the lowest since 2019 and a notable drop from the 3,137 deaths recorded in 2023. The sharpest decline was in fentanyl-related deaths, which fell 37% from 2,001 deaths in 2023 to 1,263 in 2024, according to a report released Wednesday from the L.A. County Public Health Department.
Health officials credited measures including large-scale investments in drug treatment and overdose prevention for the reversal of a long upward trend.