Fentanyl Fatalities Fell 37% as County Ramps up Funding for Prevention, Treatment
Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County declined by more than one-fifth in 2024, the largest annual decrease ever recorded, according to a report released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Fatal overdoses fell to 2,438 last year, down from 3,137 in 2023—a 22% decline and the lowest figure since 2019, officials said.
The findings, based on data from the Department of Medical Examiner and analyzed by the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, also showed notable reductions in deaths linked to specific substances. Fentanyl-related fatalities dropped by 37%, while methamphetamine deaths declined by 20% compared to the previous year.
Adults between the ages of 26 and 39 experienced the highest fentanyl-related death rate, with 22.7 deaths per 100,000 residents. Men continued to account for the majority of overdose deaths.
In terms of raw numbers, Latinos represented the largest group of fentanyl-related fatalities with 508 deaths, followed by white residents (456), Black residents (232), and Asian residents (26). However, when adjusted for population size, Black residents had the highest overdose death rate at 29.0 per 100,000, nearly three times the rate among Latinos (10.5) and significantly higher than white (17.4) and Asian (1.7) communities.
The report also highlighted the impact of socioeconomic factors. Residents in the county’s least affluent neighborhoods—where more than 30% of families live below the federal poverty line—faced fentanyl death rates nearly four times higher than those in the most affluent areas.
Despite persistent disparities, public health officials expressed optimism, citing substantial increases in funding for intervention and prevention services. In 2024, Los Angeles County boosted investment in substance use prevention by 260%, expanded treatment funding by 275%, and increased harm-reduction service funding by more than 500%.
