Maryland and Michigan report sharp declines in opioid overdose deaths

In Maryland, opioid‑related overdose deaths fell by 57% from the pandemic peak, dropping from more than 2,500 in 2020 to just over 1,000 last year. Officials cite wider distribution of fentanyl test strips, expanded treatment options and increased access to the overdose‑reversing drug naloxone, along with funding from the state’s Opioid Restitution Fund, as key drivers of the decline. Baltimore City, which had the nation’s highest city‑level death rate, is also seeing numbers trend downward.

Michigan similarly recorded its lowest drug‑death count in over a decade, with projections for 2025 under 1,700 deaths, down from 1,938 in 2024 and a peak of 3,096 in 2021. The reduction is attributed to extensive naloxone distribution—more than 1.7 million kits since 2020 and over 34,000 overdose reversals—and to the use of settlement money from Purdue Pharma, which feeds a $1.8 billion opioid‑settlement fund supporting prevention, treatment and harm‑reduction programs. While deaths are falling, experts warn that opioid use may persist and some users are shifting to other substances such as methamphetamine.