Millburn, NJ, Jan. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Jersey drug overdose deaths fell to the lowest total in five years in 2025, continuing a sharp decline that began after the COVID-19 pandemic. The statistics were revealed in a study released on January 15 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to NJ Cares, the state’s 1,312 suspected drug overdoses represented a 27 percent reduction from 2024 and a more than 50 percent decrease from the pandemic-era peaks in 2020 and 2021.
“This is a significant and sustained drop,” said Angelo M. Valente, executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “New Jersey has seen overdose deaths fall year after year since the pandemic, and reaching the lowest level in many years is an important marker of progress.
“While New Jersey is doing many of the right things, we can’t rest until that number is zero,” he continued. “Every overdose death changes the lives of a New Jersey family forever. We believe that prevention, education, treatment access, and stigma reduction all have to continue if we’re going to keep moving in the right direction.”
The decline aligns with national trends reported by the CDC, which show overdose deaths falling nationwide but remaining higher than pre-pandemic levels. “This didn’t happen overnight in New Jersey,” Valente said, referring to the state’s steep decline. “New Jersey invested in prevention early and stayed consistent, and these numbers reflect that long-term commitment.”
New Jersey was the first state to adopt a “Right to Know law” requiring medical professionals to discuss safer, non-opioid alternatives for pain management with patients. It has since been replicated in 23 other states.
PDFNJ has led and advocated for prevention and educational programs, including its new Healthy Aging campaign, which brings opioid safety and awareness to older adults, a population often overlooked in opioid education efforts. It has hosted town hall events for more than eight years and conducts ongoing workshops with healthcare providers to share information about opioid risks and safer alternatives. It also hosts the American Medicine Chest Challenge, a statewide medication take-back initiative that promotes the safe disposal of unused prescriptions.
###
Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
Lisa Batitto Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey 973-467-2100 news@drugfreenj.org