Fentanyl overdose deaths declining in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — For years, fentanyl has maintained its position as the nation's single deadliest drug, stalking the streets of America. But there are signs of progress in the fight against fentanyl as deadly overdoses decline in Michigan and nationwide.
According to the Kent County Medical Examiner's office, fentanyl killed 29 people in the first six months of 2024.
A final tally for 2024 is not yet available because results of toxicology tests are still pending in some cases. Still, it appears there were significantly fewer fatalities in 2024 than in the drug's deadliest year, 2022, in which 89 people died from fentanyl in Kent County, according to the medical examiner's office.
In 2023, deadly fentanyl overdoses in Kent County decreased to 62, and 2024 deaths could be even lower.
The steady decline is likely due to harm reduction efforts, like the widespread distribution of naloxone, the overdose reversal drug.
Cherry Health adds 2 new Narcan vending machines
Fentanyl test strips are increasingly available too, allowing people to check their drugs for fentanyl before they ingest them.
Stepped up enforcement and increased public awareness played roles as well.
'We do believe the message is getting out there about fentanyl,' said Derek Ress, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Grand Rapids office. 'We're also getting the word out with our One Pill Can Kill initiative. … The message we're getting out there to high schoolers: 'You've got something that looks like Xanax or oxy — potentially, it's fentanyl. If you've got something that looks like Adderall, it's potentially meth. You never know what's going to be in there.''
The state is reporting a decline in deadly fentanyl overdoses too, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services:
2018: 1,505 deaths
2019: 1,428 deaths
2020: 1,876 deaths
2021: 2,263 deaths
2022: 2,208 deaths
2023: 2,168 deaths
2024: 680 deaths (only includes the first six months of the year)
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
7 hours ago
- Axios
Austin overdose deaths plummet
Drug-related deaths in Travis County have dropped from pandemic-era highs, but are still above 2019 levels, CDC data shows. Why it matters: Fatal overdoses initially rose during the COVID pandemic, but have been falling since 2023 as naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, has become more widely available. Flashback: Narcan, the best-known name brand of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023. It is standard issue for first responders and available in treatment centers and some public places. By the numbers: Deaths from opioid use are still the No. 1 cause of accidental death in Travis County, Travis County Judge Andy Brown said this week, but opioid-related deaths dropped from 486 in 2023 to 380 in 2024, a 22% decrease. Fentanyl-related deaths decreased from 279 to 179 in that same time frame, or 36%, Brown said. Opioids include drugs like fentanyl and oxycodone. Naloxone works only on opioid overdoses. What they're saying:"We are no longer in Austin and Travis County reacting to a crisis," Mayor Kirk Watson said at a news conference this week to talk about how a $2 million federal grant that's ending (as scheduled) helped make progress in fighting overdoses. "We are building a system that prevents it." The decline translates into "lives saved, families intact and a community that's learning how to keep each other safe," Watson said. Zoom in: Among other things, the grant paid for the distribution of more than 24,000 doses of Narcan — including in every police car, ambulance and fire engine — and the training of more than 1,100 people in how to recognize an overdose and administer naloxone. Yes, but: Even with the decline, numbers are still above pre-pandemic figures. In the 12-month period ending in January 2020, there were about 174 overdose deaths in Travis County, per CDC data.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Las Vegas court program built around treatment, not incarceration
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a quiet courtroom tucked inside the Las Vegas Justice Court, lives are being rebuilt — not punished. Instead of jail time, individuals struggling with untreated mental illness or addiction are being offered a new path: one filled with counseling, care, and a shot at redemption. For Judge Eric Goodman, this mission is more than professional — it's personal. 'When I was 19, I lost a good friend of mine to suicide,' Goodman said. 'Over the years, I've lost a number of friends to suicide or drug addiction. Every time that happened, I just wished I had done something.' Now, from the bench, he's doing something big. Just months after taking the gavel in 2009, Goodman noticed a troubling pattern: the same people appearing in his courtroom again and again — many of them homeless, addicted, and living with serious mental illness. Jail, he realized, was not the answer. In February 2023, Goodman partnered with fellow Justice Court Judge Nadia Wood to launch the Las Vegas Municipal Court Mental Health Court Program. Their goal: address the root causes of crime through treatment, not incarceration. 'Sometimes 30 to 40 percent of our jail population is on medication for mental health conditions,' Wood explained. 'The system wasn't built to treat them. This program is.' The program is open to people over 18 with a serious mental health illness and a misdemeanor. Participants must voluntarily commit to a rigorous program involving therapy, case management, medication stabilization, substance abuse treatment, and housing support. So far, 11 participants have completed the program. Many are now off the streets, sober, and in stable housing for the first time in years. But the impact goes beyond the individuals. 'It costs over $100,000 a year to keep someone in jail,' Wood said. 'With our program, it costs between $12,000 to $14,000 a year to have these individuals housed, fed, taken care of, receiving treatment, (and) receiving medication.' For Goodman, graduation days are emotional. 'When I see them graduate and move on with their lives and be successful, it really touches me because I'll always think back to my friend who gave up early in life,' Goodman said. 'That was the end of his life, now these people are changing their lives, and they have a chance for a future.' Goodman and Wood said the program not only saves lives — it makes the community safer. They hope to expand the program in the coming years, reaching more individuals in need — and continuing to shift the justice system from punishment to possibility. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kentucky health officials warn against use of kratom
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kratom is a tropical tree found in Southeast Asia, and it has been around for hundreds of years. Its leaves are sold throughout the United States and can treat things like pain, coughing, anxiety, depression, and even opioid use disorder and withdrawal. 'It is sold in Kentucky. Usually, it will come in either an herbal powder form or in a pill form,' said Program Director for Voices of Hope Lexington, Jimmy Chadwell. Kentucky health officials warn against use of kratom Kentucky judge tells lawmakers child removal process doesn't move quick enough in abuse investigations 1 charged, shelter-in-place ended in Saunders Lane after Boone County shooting investigation In early June, the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy put out a health alert advising the public not to consume kratom products and products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, better known as 7-OH. It is a chemical compound found in kratom. The health agencies warned that when 7-OH is concentrated or synthetically made, it can increase the risk of overdose, severe health issues, and death. Chadwell urges those using pure kratom products for their harm-reduction benefits to do so wisely. Kentuckians spend the 3rd highest share of their income on fast food Bill could make federal minimum wage $15: Kentucky among states paying less than that Kentucky sitting near bottom of rankings in environmental protection: Study 'Exercise caution. Moderate the amount you use. Never use it alone. Always have Narcan available. Okay? Because of these kratom and the 7-OH, they work on the opioid receptors. So having Narcan available is really going to save somebody's life,' he told FOX 56. Kratom is not FDA-approved and is illegal in six states. But Chadwell said that Voices of Hope, an organization for people recovering from substance abuse disorders, believes the answer is not more laws; it is more conversation. 'We believe that creating more laws surrounding drugs and drug users will not help the community. Instead, we feel that supporting increases in the availability of education and encouraging harm reduction initiatives when using any substance are the best route to go,' he said. Read more of the latest health and wellness news Health officials also said there are no guarantees that kratom products contain the ingredients the packages claim, have the correct concentrations, or are free from contaminants or other drugs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
