Alcohol, drug and suicide deaths plummeted in US
The number of deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide in the US fell sharply in 2024, led by a huge fall in overdoses, new research shows.
Data from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-profit public health body, found that alcohol deaths declined by 4%, drug deaths by 26%, and suicides by 3% in 2024 – a positive trend that researchers said had continued into 2025.
Improved access to health services and the rollout of early intervention programmes were among the reasons cited for the decline. But TFAH warned progress risked stalling due to recent cuts to health services, including substance abuse programmes. It also warned that suicide deaths remain high in some demographics, notably among American Indians.
“Sustaining and building on recent progress requires the federal government to invest even more in programs that reduce and prevent harm — not cut them,” said Dr Nadine Gracia, president of TFAH.
“We are also seeing specific groups of people not experiencing the same progress, especially when it comes to deaths from suicide. We need to do even more to build strong policies and programmes that help to improve everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.”
Image: Jack Finnigan
