Overdose deaths continue to fall in Kentucky. WNIN’s John Gibson has details:
Gov. Andy Beshear says deaths by drug overdose decreased by about 30-percent in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Beshear notes it’s the third straight year the number has gone down.
Among Black Kentucky residents, who had not previously seen a decrease, 170 died from a drug overdose, down from 271 in 2023.
Despite the improving numbers, more than 1,400 Kentuckians still lost their lives to a drug overdose last year.
Fentanyl was present in 62-percent of overdose deaths, and methamphetamine was present in just over half.
Fentanyl and meth continue to be the most prevalent drugs contributing to overdose deaths in the commonwealth.
Beshear says he’s “thankful” that more Kentuckians are alive and in recovery today compared with last year.
But he says his administration mourns those who lost their lives and won’t stop until every Kentuckian is saved from addiction.