Published: 02/13/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Opioid overdose deaths in Kentucky have fallen by 30% from 2023 to 2024, outpacing the national decline of 20%, according to state officials and harm reduction advocates.

Public health experts attribute the reduction to expanded access to naloxone (Narcan) and fentanyl test strips, two critical harm reduction tools that help prevent fatal opioid poisonings.

The decline represents three consecutive years of falling overdose deaths in Kentucky, making it one of the few states to achieve sustained reductions in the opioid epidemic, according to Van Ingram, executive director of Kentucky’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers

Nationally, overdose deaths dropped approximately 20% between 2024 and 2025, continuing a trend that represents the most significant improvement in decades in an epidemic driven primarily by illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

In Kentucky specifically:

1. Overdose deaths fell 30% from 2023 to 2024, according to the Beshear administration
2. The state has distributed more than 170,000 units of Narcan in recent years
3. Kentucky is on pace to see another reduction in overdose deaths in 2025 when complete data is available

Shreeta Waldon, executive director of the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition (KyHRC) in Louisville, told Spectrum News that expanded access to life-saving resources has been critical to the decline.

“In the state of Kentucky, which I am proud to say, more people are educated, more people are informed, more people are seeing that they do have the right to self-determination,” said Waldon, a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.

What’s Driving the Decline in Overdose Deaths

Public health officials and harm reduction advocates point to two primary interventions behind Kentucky’s success:

Naloxone (Narcan) distribution: The Office of Drug Control Policy works with organizations like KyHRC, healthcare providers, city governments, and law enforcement to implement what Ingram called a “Narcan saturation plan to get Narcan in the right hands, to get Narcan where it can do the most good.”

Naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and restoring normal breathing. It works on all opioids including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers.

The medication has no potential for abuse and causes no harm if administered to someone who has not overdosed on opioids.

Fentanyl test strips: Waldon specifically credited the greater distribution of fentanyl test strips as a key factor in preventing deaths. These strips allow people to test substances for the presence of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin that is often mixed into other drugs without users’ knowledge.

The KyHRC distributes kits weekly containing both Narcan and fentanyl test strips. “It’s also a great way for people to learn about the work that we do,” Waldon said, referring to community education events the organization hosts about addiction, harm reduction, and recovery options.

Fentanyl’s Role in the Opioid Crisis

Fentanyl remains the primary driver of opioid overdose deaths nationally and in Kentucky. The synthetic opioid is frequently mixed into heroin, counterfeit pills, methamphetamine and cocaine, often without users’ knowledge. Because fentanyl is so potent, even tiny amounts can cause fatal overdoses.

Fentanyl test strips provide a harm reduction tool that allows people to test drugs before use. While harm reduction strategies like test strips do not prevent substance use, research shows they significantly reduce overdose risk by giving users information to make safer decisions.

This includes using smaller amounts, avoiding use alone or having naloxone immediately available.

Understanding Harm Reduction in Opioid Addiction

Harm reduction is a public health approach that meets people where they are without requiring abstinence as a precondition for support. Key harm reduction interventions for the opioid crisis include:

1. Naloxone distribution: Making overdose reversal medication widely available to people who use drugs, their families, and first responders
2. Fentanyl test strips: Allowing drug checking to detect dangerous adulterants
3. Syringe services programs: Providing sterile injection equipment to prevent infectious disease transmission
4. Safe consumption sites: Supervised spaces where people can use pre-obtained drugs with medical staff present (not currently legal in Kentucky)

These interventions reduce immediate death risk while connecting people to treatment and recovery resources when they’re ready. As Waldon emphasized, harm reduction respects “the right to self-determination” while keeping people alive.

Federal Funding Uncertainty Threatens Progress

Despite Kentucky’s success, advocates warn that unstable federal funding threatens to undermine progress in helping people struggling with narcotics abuse.

Earlier in January 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services briefly cut then reinstated federal funding for addiction services, a move that temporarily eliminated nearly $500,000 earmarked for overdose prevention in Lexington and Fayette County.

“There are people who have been doing this work for years, for decades, who understand the cycles of political climate,” Waldon told Spectrum News. “But there are people who are new to this, whose lives depend on this, their livelihood and that fear can cause people harm.”

The funding volatility follows broader uncertainty in federal substance abuse programming, including layoffs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and policy changes affecting addiction treatment grants.

Ingram’s office stated it remains ready to supply Narcan at no cost to law enforcement agencies throughout Kentucky and encourages agencies to reach out despite federal funding uncertainty.

Finding Help for Opioid Addiction in Kentucky

For individuals struggling with opioid addiction or narcotic addiction, multiple resources are available in Kentucky:

Free Narcan access: The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy provides naloxone at no cost to law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition distributes kits containing Narcan and fentanyl test strips weekly.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): Evidence-based treatment for opioid addiction includes FDA-approved medications like buprenorphine (Suboxone), methadone, and naltrexone combined with counseling. MAT dramatically reduces overdose risk and improves long-term recovery outcomes.

Narcotics Anonymous meetings: NA meetings provide peer support for people in recovery from drug addiction. Narcotics Anonymous follows a 12-step model and welcomes anyone seeking freedom from active addiction.

Harm reduction services: Contact the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition or local syringe services programs for fentanyl test strips, naloxone, and connection to treatment when ready.

Narcotics.com’s directory includes NA meetings throughout Kentucky and nationwide. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to start receiving customized support to begin your recovery today.

Harm Reduction Callout

🛡️ LIFESAVING HARM REDUCTION RESOURCES

Get free Narcan (naloxone):

1. Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy: Available to law enforcement and community organizations statewide
2. Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition: Weekly distribution of kits containing Narcan and fentanyl test strips
3. National harm reduction hotline: 1-800-662-4357 (SAMHSA)

How to use Narcan:

1. Call 911 immediately if someone has overdosed
2. Administer Narcan nasal spray (one spray per nostril) or injection
3. Perform rescue breathing if trained
4. Administer additional doses every 2-3 minutes if no response
5. Stay with the person until help arrives

Fentanyl test strips: Available through harm reduction organizations. Test drugs before use to detect fentanyl contamination.

Signs of opioid overdose:

1. Unconsciousness or inability to wake up
2. Slow or stopped breathing
3. Blue lips or fingernails
4. Pinpoint pupils
5. Gurgling or choking sounds