Nevada Ranks 6th Worst for Drug Overdose Deaths
Nevada recorded 1,237 drug overdose deaths in 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With an age-adjusted rate of 35.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, Nevada stands nearly 55% higher than the national average of 23 per 100,000 and ranks sixth worst in the country.
West Virginia holds the highest drug overdose death rate at 48.9 per 100,000, followed by Alaska at 45.1 and Washington, D.C. at 43.2. The states with the lowest drug overdose death rates are Nebraska at 8.1 per 100,000, South Dakota at 11.9, and Iowa at 13.7.
In Nevada, methamphetamine was involved in 58% of overdose deaths in 2024, differing from the fentanyl-driven pattern seen in much of the country. The state’s overdose death rate has climbed 79% since 2019 and 95% since 2014, marking one of the sharper increases nationally.
These alarming numbers add new urgency to ongoing debates at the Nevada Legislature over public safety funding, expanded treatment access, prevention programs, and stronger measures to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs. As Nevada lawmakers weigh budget priorities and policy reforms in coming sessions, the data highlights the continued human and economic toll of the overdose epidemic on families and communities across the state.
