UVA Health reports decline in overdose calls in 2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Reported drug overdoses are down this year, according to data from UVA Health.

Dr. Chris Holstege, Director of UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center, said the final numbers for 2024 show an improvement.

“It’s good news from my standpoint,” Holstege said.

Final data shows a significant decrease in calls, largely in the adult population. In 2023, the Poison Center received 458 opioid-related calls from adults; in 2024, that number was 358, accounting for a more than 20% decrease year-over-year.

“In other words, we’re seeing less opioid-related exposures that are being called to poison centers,” Holstege said.

Another area of major change from 2023-2024, fewer children and teens made cannabis-related calls.

“It does appear that some of the prevention efforts that are being placed out there are keeping those age groups from having access to these,” Holstege said.

This decrease provides relief after a three-year rise in cannabis-related calls, Holstege said. He points to policy to explain the previously high numbers.

“We have seen a steady rise since that decriminalization,” Holstege said. “Last year we saw a decline.”

These trends follow wider state numbers, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

A number of factors are likely at play when it comes to why fewer people are reporting overdoses across the board.

“Whatever is working, we certainly want to make sure that we continue to expand that,” Holstege said. “Remembering that, you know, there’s been initiatives to expand harm reduction programs to improve access to care for substance use disorder, reducing the supply chains, we have the One Pill Can Kill campaign in Virginia that has been initiated.”

The priority now is keeping those numbers low through 2025.

“I think all these are making impacts,” Holstege said, “and it’s a question of which ones are really giving us the biggest impact.”

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