Overdose deaths in Idaho have significantly decreased for the second year in a row.
Amid the fentanyl epidemic, overdose deaths in the state had been steadily climbing, from 5.5 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2012, to 13.9 in 2022, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. In 2023, a record 386 people died of an overdose in the state. But in the last two years, those numbers have declined.
The state recorded 337 deaths by overdose in 2024, and 308 in 2025.
There are many reasons behind that 20% decline. The Idaho Department of Health said the decline can be attributed to a combination of factors: shifts in the illegal drug supply, a successful campaign to distribute the opioid reversal treatment Narcan, continued public education, more responsible controlled substance prescribing and greater access to substance use disorder treatment.
Central District Health’s Becca Jenkins said the disbursement of opioid settlement funds and a statewide collaboration to address the crisis have also been instrumental.
Two years of decline is not enough data to know where things are headed, but the trend is encouraging, she said. Tobacco consumption has been steadily declining in the wake of large payouts from the tobacco industry, she noted, especially among youth, which could offer clues on best practices to address the opioid crisis.
“I think that's the closest example [of] a little bit more longitudinal data to provide for how the opioid settlement dollars might work,” she said, adding success may depend on a continued comprehensive efforts, from prevention to treatment,
“The biggest and best strategy is really running the spectrum of substance misuse, which is all the way from never having used, haven't considered using, all the way up to someone who might be in recovery,” Jenkins added.
