Los Angeles County Overdose Statistics 2024
Los Angeles County recorded 2,438 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2024 — the lowest number since 2019 and a 22% decline from 3,137 in 2023. It was the largest single-year drop in county history (LA County Department of Public Health, June 25, 2025).
The headline numbers
Total accidental drug overdose and poisoning deaths fell from 3,137 in 2023 to 2,438 in 2024 — a 22% decline and the lowest total since 2019. The rate per 100,000 residents was approximately 25. Fentanyl-related deaths declined 37% (from over 2,000 to 1,263). Methamphetamine-related deaths declined 20%. For the first time in several years, methamphetamine-involved deaths exceeded fentanyl-involved deaths.
Fentanyl's changing role
Fentanyl's share of accidental overdose deaths dropped from 64% in 2023 to 52% in 2024. This reflects both the sheer progress of the public health response (naloxone saturation, fentanyl test strips, Fentanyl Frontline campaign) and the persistent methamphetamine crisis. Fentanyl remains the most common drug listed as a cause of overdose death — but its dominance is eroding as meth becomes the larger driver.
Who fentanyl is killing in LA County
Adults aged 26–39 had the highest fentanyl death rate at 22.8 per 100,000 in 2024. Adults 40–64 were second at 18.8 per 100,000. By race and ethnicity, Hispanic/Latinx Angelenos accounted for 40% of fentanyl deaths (n=508), White Angelenos 36% (n=456), and Black Angelenos 18% (n=233). Black Angelenos make up about 8% of the county's population but 19% of fentanyl deaths — a disparity driven by decades of structural inequities in healthcare access.
The income gradient is stark
The fentanyl overdose death rate was nearly four times higher in the least affluent LA County areas (more than 30% of families below federal poverty) than in the most affluent (less than 10% below FPL) — 39.1 per 100,000 versus 10.0 per 100,000. That gradient shapes both overdose risk and treatment access. Clean Start's placement service focuses on commercial-insurance-covered inpatient placement; for callers without commercial coverage, the LA County Substance Abuse Service Helpline (1-844-804-7500) is the public-sector 24/7 intake.
What public health did that worked
LA County scaled investments in substance use prevention by more than 260%, treatment by 275%, and harm reduction by 500% in 2024. The ByLAforLA.org platform connects residents with naloxone and peer support. Naloxone became widely available at pharmacies without prescription under California standing order. These efforts, combined with drug-supply shifts, drove the decline.
What the data does not mean
A 22% decline in one year is historic. It is not victory. 2,438 Angelenos died from overdose last year — roughly 47 per week, nearly seven per day. Fentanyl is still in more than half of overdose deaths. Methamphetamine is now the larger driver. Black Angelenos are still dying at 2.4× their population share. The decline means the public health approach works. It does not mean the crisis is over.
FAQ
Common questions
Where does LA County publish this data?
The LA County Department of Public Health, through its Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) bureau, releases periodic data reports. The 2024 summary was published June 25, 2025. The detailed fentanyl report (October 2025) is available at lapublichealth.org/sapc.
Is the decline likely to continue?
Public health officials have flagged federal funding reductions as a concern for sustaining progress. The 2024 decline was driven by investments that require continued funding to maintain.