After hitting an all-time high in 2021, Ohio’s overdose death rate dropped 43% by 2024, as illustrated above.

While Ohio’s overdose death rate is still higher than most other states, its ranking improved from a low of 50th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2017 to 36th in 2024.

The decrease in overdose deaths represents important progress in the state’s response to the overdose crisis, which has disproportionally impacted Ohio for many years. This improvement comes amid changes in substance-use patterns, the drug supply, access to treatment and recovery services and the availability of overdose reversal medication.

HPIO is hosting a webinar on Thursday, Oct. 29 that will explore the reasons why the number of overdose deaths has decreased and what policymakers can do to ensure that the trend continues.