During his Team Kentucky Update on Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear announced that overdose deaths in the commonwealth have declined for the second consecutive year.
Governor Beshear reported, based on the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report, that the state experienced a decrease of 9.8 percent in overdose deaths compared to the previous year.
click to download audioHe acknowledged that, while this is still far too many lives lost and Kentucky has a long way to go, celebrating success and improvement is crucial. He emphasized that recognizing a better year gives us the strength to do even more, push harder, and show up each day ready to fight just as hard for the next person in need as we did for the last.
Beshear noted that some of the most dangerous drugs continue to claim the highest number of lives.
click to download audioEven with this tough statistic, he added that there is some good news: the decrease has significantly lessened, dropping from a 22% jump in 2022.
click to download audioThe Governor also highlighted that not only did Kentucky see a decrease in overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023, but the commonwealth’s statistics outperformed the rest of the country.
click to download audioBeshear praised the efforts of several organizations along with the distribution of over 160,000 doses of Narcan through the state’s Treatment Access Program. This program enables individuals without health insurance to access residential treatment, while the Recovery Ready Certification assists communities in supporting residents seeking help for drug or alcohol addiction.
In addition, he announced that Kentucky is leading the nation in the number of residential drug and alcohol treatment beds per capita.
Several leaders from addiction treatment agencies joined the Governor for Thursday’s announcement to discuss Kentucky’s ongoing efforts to address addiction and expand treatment services.
