Overdose Deaths Down in Michigan for the First Time in 6 Years

More than 2,500 people died of drug overdoses in 2018...and that's good news?

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports after several years of increases in overdose deaths, in 2018 Michigan experienced a decrease overall, including a slight decline in opioid-related overdose deaths.

In 2018, there were 2,599 overdose deaths, 2,036 of which were opioid-related. Overall overdose deaths declined by 3.2 percent from 2017’s 2,686 tally – with the deaths down for the first time in six years. Opioid-related overdose deaths decreased by 0.8 percent from the 2017 total of 2,053.

The decline in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2018 was largely driven by decreases in the number of deaths due to poisoning by heroin and commonly prescribed natural and semisynthetic drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxymorphone. Drug poisoning deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl continue to climb.

-Michigan Department of Health & Human Services 

MDHHS, Michigan state Police and Michigan Opioids Task Force, Governor Whitmer's newly appointed agency, have promised their best efforts to bring the numbers down even further in Michigan. You can read the complete press release, more strategies and statistics here.