LA County drug-related overdose deaths, including from fentanyl, declined in 2024

Drug-related overdoses and poisoning deaths dropped by 22% in 2024 over the previous year in Los Angeles County, marking the most significant reduction in county history, county health officials reported on Wednesday.

This includes a 37% reduction in fentanyl-related deaths, said Dr. Gary Tsai, the county’s director of its Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It’s manufactured on the cheap and sold on the street or online...