Combating the Overdose Epidemic
In 2024, there were approximately 80,000 overdose deaths in the United States, a decrease of 27% from the year before. In 2024, overdose deaths declined 31% in states supported by the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative, outpacing the national decline.
In October 2026, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a new $150 million commitment to help combat the overdose crisis in the hard-hit states of Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin. This investment brings Bloomberg Philanthropies’ total commitment to its Overdose Prevention Initiative, launched in 2018, to $335 million.
Even one death from an overdose is too many. The overdose epidemic continues to be one of the hardest public health crises our nation faces. Now is the time to accelerate this hard-fought progress, expand access to treatment, and save more lives.
Michael R. Bloomberg
Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative
The Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative is working with states to combat the overdose epidemic by promoting evidence-based solutions and supporting implementation of best practices that can be modeled around the country. To make progress and save lives, the initiative focuses on three pillars to reverse the upward trend of overdose deaths:
Strategy 1: Develop and implement a set of comprehensive evidence-based interventions in hard-hit states.
The seven states where we are doing our work have seen particularly high rates of overdose; Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched deep partnerships with them to create programs and implement solutions. This work includes:
- Expanding treatment for those with opioid use disorders by increasing access to medication treatment and use of naloxone to reverse overdoses
- Working with law enforcement and criminal justice system to promote treatment over incarceration
- Developing communications strategies to reduce stigma around addiction
- Expanding access to overdose prevention services, including syringe service programs
- Developing better data systems to improve response through enhanced data sharing between public health and law enforcement
- Monitoring and evaluating effectiveness to improve programmatic response
- Embedding staff to provide technical expertise and implementation support with interventions
Strategy 2: Support research and education on federal barriers to medication treatment and overdose prevention.
This work examines legal and administrative barriers in the federal government that hinder people’s ability to access quality medication treatment and overdose prevention services. Bloomberg Philanthropies supports partners who conduct research, share evidence, and raise awareness about these barriers to help inform policymakers and advance solutions.
Strategy 3: Develop tools and guidelines.
As part of a commitment to share what works and spread effective strategies, Bloomberg Philanthropies has developed tools and guidelines on a wide range of topics to support all states — not just those where the initiative is working directly. These guidelines cover a wide array of topics, including adopting coordinated data systems, promoting public health responses to drug use, developing naloxone distribution recommendations, and providing medication treatment in jails and prisons. Additional tools and guidelines will be developed to support governments and organizations in their work to support people with substance use disorders.
Top photo: Mike Bloomberg announced a new $150 million commitment to help combat the overdose crisis at the 2026 Bloomberg American Health Summit in Baltimore, Maryland.