The main point: U.S. overdose deaths among young people are declining rapidly — overdoses among people under 35 fell from more than 31,000 in 2021 to 16,690 in 2024.

Backstory: Over the past decade, overdoses among young people surged, killing more than 230,000 people under 35.

The number grew as fentanyl spread. Fentanyl deaths nearly quadrupled among people 15-24 from 2018 through 2022 and then plateaued at 1,500-2,000 fatal overdoses a year.

But then: Last year, there were 40% fewer teen fatal overdoses, outpacing the 27% decline in overdoses across all age groups.

The details:

The decline could be due to wider naloxone distribution, weaker/less deadly fentanyl in the drug supply, more readily available addiction care, and the loss of so many vulnerable young people who have already died.
Another key factor may be less risky drug and alcohol use among teens and young adults, a pattern that emerged during COVID. The number of teens abstaining from substance use grew to its highest level in 2024.
Years of devastation caused by fentanyl might mean more teens and young adults are shifting away from opioids.

BUT: Many of the young people most at risk are not just experimenting, but have addiction.

Programs aimed at reaching young people with addiction ramped up with federal funding from the Biden administration.
These programs may now be at risk with the Trump administration cutting billions of dollars in funding for grants and agencies that address the fentanyl crisis.