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Recovery remains misunderstood – what it really means, what sustains recovery and what communities need (and need to do) to support people in recovery.
What better time than now to have that conversation, as we observe Recovery Month throughout September. This is our opportunity to recognize the more than 20 million people in the United States living in recovery from substance use challenges. It is also a time to reflect honestly on how far we have come, what is working and what more we can do.
Here is where things stand: Overdose deaths are declining. Nearly 87,000 people in the U.S. died from a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending September 2024, a decline of about 24% from the previous year, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the fewest overdose deaths in any 12-month period since June 2020.
That’s an encouraging trend and it reflects a collective commitment to solve this devastating public health crisis. But how do we continue that momentum? Continued investment in lifesaving resources is essential.
Those resources include evidence-based overdose prevention strategies. Fentanyl test strips successfully detect the presence of illicit fentanyl, which has become increasingly prominent. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, remain the most lethal contributors to the overdose crisis. Approximately 70% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. were estimated to involve illegally manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs like carfentanil, according to data from the CDC.
Making the overdose-reversal drug naloxone more widely available is also helping reduce overdose deaths, and we should continue efforts to make it easy for everyone to obtain.
Recent policy guidance supports these investments. In a July 29 “Dear Colleague” letter, Art Kleinschmidt, principal deputy assistant secretary at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), confirmed that distributing naloxone is not considered a harm reduction activity under federal policy, and will therefore remain eligible for funding despite recent administration executive orders. He also clarified that test strips and similar services can continue to be supported through grant programs.
Kleinschmidt affirmed what providers and recovery advocates have emphasized for years: overdose prevention is not separate from recovery. It is what makes recovery possible. When we make naloxone and fentanyl test strips widely available, we are not just saving lives in the moment. We are laying the foundation for recovery. We are reinforcing the belief that everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy fulfilling life.
In fact, some individuals are exposed to illicit fentanyl without knowing it, so anyone can benefit from naloxone and fentanyl test strips, whether it’s their first time using drugs or their tenth.
Overdose prevention is not the only resource to support people who are using drugs and may want recovery. Making recovery possible – providing people with connection, consistency and – can be achieved by creating recovery-ready systems, which build support at every level and stage, with resources that recognize moments of crisis as a front door to care. That includes recovery support services such as peer support, recovery coaches, recovery housing and recovery community organizations, each playing a role to help people achieve long-term recovery.
The concept of being “recovery ready” also applies to workplaces, schools, communities and families. In fact, families are often the first and most consistent source of care, structure and support for people post overdose, yet they are rarely given the tools they need. That’s why we developed a new resource that helps families and communities take practical steps toward becoming recovery ready.
Being recovery ready means being more prepared and more informed. It means making naloxone, fentanyl test strips and similar overdose prevention resources available where they are needed most and talking openly about overdose risk and recovery. It means ensuring people have access to tools and resources that turn awareness into action.
There are infinite paths to recovery. People can and do recover.
When we support overdose prevention and build recovery-ready ecosystems, with systems of care coordination that connect families, clinics, communities, workplaces and crisis response, we ensure that people are not only more likely to survive a crisis but also more likely to find connection, care and a way forward.
The decline in overdose deaths is a milestone worth recognizing, but as we observe Recovery Month throughout September, we must also recognize that our work isn’t done.
