Fewer people in West Virginia are dying from drug overdoses, according to new figures from the state's Department of Human Services (DoHS) and Office of Drug Control Policy.

The data released Tuesday shows a 36 percent drop in fatal overdoses in West Virginia from January through May of this year, a further decrease from last month's numbers.

"We are proud of the headway we've made as it's a testament to the efforts of our dedicated teams, community partners, and health care providers," said Christina Mullins, DoHS deputy secretary for mental health and substance use disorders. "Every life saved reinforces our commitment to enhancing and expanding prevention and treatment services across the state."

West Virginia's overdose deaths are declining faster than the national rate. West Virginia had an 18 percent drop from July 2023 through June 2024, while the national drop was 14 percent.

West Virginia has led the nation in overdose death rates for a decade with a peak of 77 overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.

In October, the two groups announced provisional data comparing the first four months of 2023 to the same period in 2024 for the state which showed a 34 percent decrease in overdose deaths.

This data is provisional, meaning these are not finalized figures for the year.