24-05-2025
Fentanyl overdoses, though still the leading cause of death among Americans under 45, continue to fall in Kern County
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Fatal overdoses of fentanyl, though still high in Kern County, have dropped precipitously this year, mirroring national trends, the Kern County Coroner's Office reported this week.
50 people have died from fentanyl overdoses thus far in 2025.
That's through April 30th.
That number puts Kern County on pace for 152 fentanyl related deaths this year, which would represent a 20% drop from 2024 – and the second-lowest number of fatalities since the county began tracking that drug in 2020.
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125 people died from overdoses of the synthetic opioid in 2020, but the number quickly skyrocketed – reaching a high of almost 300 in 2023. The current fentanyl death rate is on pace to drop 49% from that tragic high.
The drop is part of a national trend that, according to provisional data from the CDC's National Vital Statistics System, shows a 27% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024 compared to 2023 – and 48 of 50 states saw decreases.
Experts attribute the drop to better education, including harm reduction and awareness campaigns, and the increased availability of the overdose reversal drug Narcan, and the drug supply becoming less potent in certain regions. But opioid overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 44.
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