Drug-Overdose Deaths Fall by Record 22% in Los Angeles County

Drug-related overdose deaths and poisonings dropped by a record 22% in Los Angeles County last year, driven by a decline in fatalities tied to fentanyl — the synthetic opioid that has fueled a national crisis.

Deaths specifically tied to fentanyl tumbled 37%, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Wednesday. Fentanyl deaths totaled 1,263 last year in the nation’s most populous county, the lowest since 2020 but still almost three times the 2019 tally.

The recent declines were broadly in line with national trends last year, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 27% ...