Michigan drug deaths drop; $154M more in opioid-fighting funds on way

The state is now winning battles in its war against deadly drug use, thanks in large part to naloxone, which reverses overdoses
Drug deaths appear to be at their lowest rates in more than a decade
But at least one expert warns that a drop in deaths doesn’t mean a similar drop in use; it just means people are surviving more often

Michigan’s drug deaths are falling to the lowest in more than a decade, according to new federal and state data.

The state is finalizing data but — if trends hold — the state will have logged fewer than 1,700 deaths in 2025, down from 1,938 the year before. That’s the lowest number since 2013, the same year that street fentanyl became widespread and the state confirmed 1,535 drug overdose deaths.

That also marked the beginning of what became, with a few exceptions, a steep rise year after year in deaths — to a peak of 3,096 Michigan deaths in 2021.

The fatality drop in 2025 reflects a national decline, but one that has varied among states. At least six states will likely record an increase in deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC estimates that drug deaths nationwide dropped nearly 16% between 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, the state’s efforts will get another boost because of the recent settlement with the most high-profile providers of addictive painkillers. Payments from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma will stretch over 15 years.

And while any mortality decline is welcome news, it does not mean a decline in use, said Pam Lynch, of Harm Reduction Michigan.

Rather, more people are likely surviving overdoses because of the “broad availability of naloxone” — in vending machines, in old newspaper boxes and at community organizations, she said.

Additionally, there are more options for treatment these days, particularly methadone and suboxone, Lynch said.

That’s good news, she said.

But Lynch also said some users are turning now to methamphetamines, which for a time might reduce opioid-related fatalities, but still carry lethal risks.

‘Making a difference‘

The state has distributed more than 1.7 million naloxone kits since 2020 and recorded more than 34,000 overdose reversals, according to a new report by the Michigan Opioid Task Force.

Related:

“Naloxone access is making a difference in Michigan,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, wrote on X last month, encouraging Michiganders: “If you don’t already carry it, now is a good time to start,” she wrote.

A woman holding a medical needle. — Opioid settlement funds have been ‘critical’ in reducing drug deaths, said Pam Lynch of Harm Reduction Michigan, which distributes the lifesaving, overdose-reversal drug naloxone and runs a needle exchange program. (John Russell for Bridge Michigan)

The naloxone effort is largely funded by opioid settlement dollars that are divided between the state and local governments.

Bagdasarian also chairs the Michigan Opioid Task Force, which oversees the state’s efforts to spend $1.8 billion in opioid settlement dollars.

The task force recently released its report on efforts in 2024 and 2025, and it “shows progress is real — and why sustained prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction still matter,” the Bagdasarian wrote on X this week.

Among its other highlights:

Access to naloxone and other harm reduction services saved more than 1,600 lives and prevented more than 13,000 hospitalizations and about 13,200 emergency department visits between 2018 and 2024. It also averted “thousands” of Hepatitis C infections.
Disparities in drug deaths persist across race and geography. Black Michiganders died from overdose at almost three times the rate of white Michiganders in 2023. By 2024, provisional data show this has reduced to about 2.5 times.
The state in fiscal year 2025 spent $41.5 million for more than two dozen projects, including another $2.9 million for naloxone and $6.5 million for syringe service programs, $3.8 million to expand recovery and permanent supportive housing, and $3.6 million for a new treatment center in the Upper Peninsula. Another $1.5 million expanded treatment services in jails.

The report, which noted that the state is “doubling down” on naloxone and harm reduction efforts, also noted challenges ahead.

A shortage of addiction service providers and housing instability, for example, disrupt recovery efforts. Michigan ranks 34th nationwide for its number of substance use disorder providers. The US on average has about 38.1 providers for every 1,000 people who need them; the state has just 32.9.

Read the report, including its breakdown of spending, here.

More funds coming

At the same time, Michigan will accept another large infusion of opioid settlement funds — this time from a long-awaited multistate settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. Purdue Pharma ceased operations this month.

Michigan’s share of the $7.4 billion will be $154 million, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The funding adds to other opioid settlement dollars that Bridge previously examined. They are divided among state and local governments and the state has focused efforts in four areas: prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support. Some local governments have spent the funds; others are still deciding how to do so.

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