The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Overdose Prevention Data Channel on International Overdose Awareness Day, combining fatal and nonfatal overdose data, prevention strategies, and information about CDC programs in a single centralized resource.
The latest provisional data from the CDC's National Vital Statistics System predicted 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in March 2026, representing a 12.3 percent decrease compared to the previous year. CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz said the launch reflected the agency's commitment to transparency in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
The channel draws on three CDC surveillance systems and presents overdose trends with user-friendly visualizations. Visitors can explore national and state-level data, find evidence-based prevention strategies, and access CDC programs and tools that support prevention and response efforts.
Grant Baldwin, director of the CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention, said the declining death estimates were encouraging but represented ongoing work rather than an endpoint. He noted the channel gives communities and public health professionals a clearer view of overdose trends and evidence-based strategies to tailor resources and strengthen prevention efforts.
