Family Summit on Fentanyl Highlights Progress in Fight to Save Lives

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration hosted the third annual National Family Summit on Fentanyl on November 14 and 15. For the past three years, DEA has invited families who have lost a loved one to a fentanyl drug poisoning or overdose to gather in the nation’s capital and explore ways to work with DEA to combat the fentanyl crisis.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram provided the more than 120 families in attendance an update on DEA’s progress in the fight to save lives. For the first time since 2018, the United States has seen a decrease in drug overdose deaths.  According to the CDC, the U.S. saw a 14.5% decrease in overdose deaths from June 2023 through June 2024.  Also, for first time since 2021, DEA has seen a decrease in the potency of fentanyl pills.The latest DEA laboratory testing indicates 5 out of 10 pills tested in 2024 contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This is down from 7 out of ten pills in 2023 and 6 out of ten pills in 2022.

“Decreases in drug related deaths and the lethality of pills equals lives saved. The 14.5% decrease in poisonings and overdose deaths translates to more than 14,000 American lives saved.  The cartels have reduced the amount of fentanyl they put into pills because of the pressure we are putting on them. Much work remains, and one death is too many, but today we can find some comfort in the fact that the work we are all doing together – to enforce our laws; to educate Americans on the dangers of fentanyl; to increase access to Naloxone and MOUD – is saving lives. We are making progress and much of that is due to the efforts made by families to educate the public and other families on the dangers of fentanyl,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

Read more of this press release at DEA.GOV.