Kentucky leaders, local advocates express cautious optimism over 10% drop in statewide overdose deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Drug overdose deaths in Kentucky fell nearly 10% in 2023, marking a second straight annual decline in the fight against an addiction epidemic, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

The number of fatal overdoses statewide dropped below 2,000, as officials credited a comprehensive response that includes treatment and prevention as well as illegal drug seizures by law enforcement.

A total of 1,984 Kentuckians died last year from a drug overdose, down 9.8% from the prior year, according to the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report. Fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid — remained the biggest culprit, accounting for 79% of overdose deaths in 2023, the report said.

"If we can ever get a handle on that, I think the success we could have is unbelievable," said Van Ingram, executive director of the state Office of Drug Control Policy.

Estill County had the highest rate of overdose deaths per 100,000 residents at 187.3. Jefferson County — by far the state's most populous county — saw the most total overdose deaths involving fentanyl at 494. Fayette County was second with 160.

Fentanyl was responsible for the most overdoses in the state, followed by 4-ANPP and methamphetamine. Kentucky's Republican-dominated legislature passed a sweeping measure this year that's meant to combat crime. A key section took aim at the prevalence of fentanyl by creating harsher penalties when its distribution results in fatal overdoses.

Among various age groups, the highest number of overdose deaths last year was among Kentuckians in the 35- to 44-year-old group at 571, a drop of 13% from 2022, the report said.

Jacob Rice, executive director of the Oliva Center in Valley Station, said its wraparound services are one reason fewer people are dying.

"It's more than just treating the disease," Rice said Monday. "You have to treat the person."

Though he runs the center, eight years ago, Rice needed the services he now provides. From alcohol and marijuana to cocaine and pills, he was hooked, always thinking it was as simple as deciding to stop. But it wasn't, and that's why he said the holistic approach the Oliva Center provides is successful.

"They're trying to understand their feelings and their emotions and what they're going through at that time," he said. "They have guidance to help navigate through those type of issues."

The Oliva Center in Valley Station. June 10, 2024. *(WDRB Photo)*

One worrisome trend in the 2023 report is the increased number of overdose deaths among Black people in the state, Beshear said. The latest report showed a 5% increase, down from the 22% increase in last year's report, he said.

"We are committed to working with community partners and leaders to reverse this trend, and we are going to use recently received grant funding to increase education and outreach efforts," he said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who has steered huge sums of federal funding to his home state to combat its addiction woes — said the report is a "cause for hope." The substance abuse crisis hit "communities in every zip code across the nation" with Kentucky among the hardest hit, he said.

In 2022, Kentucky’s overall drug overdose deaths fell by 5% from the prior year. It marked the first decline since 2018.

"We still have a lot of work left to do in the commonwealth, and we have to stop the flow of drugs at our Southern border, and I’ll continue to fight to ensure Kentucky remains at the forefront of our national response," McConnell said in a statement Thursday.

Nationally, about 107,500 people died of overdoses in the U.S. last year, including both American citizens and non-citizens in the country at the time they died, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated recently. That’s down 3% from 2022, when there were an estimated 111,000 such deaths, the agency said.

In Kentucky, 160,000 doses of Narcan — the drug that can save someone’s life during an opioid overdose — were distributed last year, Ingram said, adding that he hopes even more doses are circulated this year.

Since the Oliva Center opened about a year ago, nearly 100 men have gone through the program. They stay there for a few months for an intense recovery before eventually starting back on their own, still coming for therapy sessions and classes and, ultimately, a graduation.

"It makes me smile," Rice said Monday. "It doesn't discriminate. It has always been here, and so to see that it's going down, it's warming to know that what we're doing is working."

To start the treatment process, a Kentucky resource phone number was created to help. That number is (833) 8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to speak one-on-one with a specialist who can connect someone with treatment as quickly as possible.

You can read the full overdose fatality report below:

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