Kentucky Drug Overdose Deaths in 2025

In 2025, 1,110 Kentucky residents died from a drug overdose, a decrease of 22.9% from the 1,439 resident deaths in 2024 and resulting in a rate of 24.3 deaths per 100,000 residents.

A review of the resident cases autopsied by the Kentucky Office of the State Medical Examiner and toxicology reports submitted by Kentucky coroners indicate that in 2025:

• Among Black Kentucky residents, 129 died from a drug overdose, a decrease of 25.4% from the 173 Black resident deaths in 2024. The rate of drug overdose deaths among Black residents in 2025 was 31.7 deaths per 100,000 Black residents, which was 29.4% greater than the rate of deaths among White residents and a decrease from the 42.4 deaths per 100,000 Black residents in 2024. The rate for White residents in 2025 was 24.5 deaths per 100,000 White residents, a decrease from the 32.1 deaths per 100,000 White residents in 2024.

• A total of 237 residents of Jefferson County died from a drug overdose, a decrease from the 351 resident deaths in 2024.

• The age group of 45- to 54-year-olds had the highest number of drug overdose deaths in 2025 at 299, a decrease of 22.3% from the 385 deaths among that age group in 2024. In 2025, the number of drug overdose deaths increased for residents who were 65 to 74 years old, 85 or older, and 5 to 14 years old.

• The following data on drug types are based on postmortem toxicology performed by either county coroners or the Office of The Medical Examiner (n=1,079):
– Fentanyl was identified through toxicology in 504 drug overdose deaths, representing 45.4% of the total drug overdose deaths that year and a decrease of 42.9% from the 883 drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2024.

– Methamphetamine was identified in 549 drug overdose deaths, representing 49.5% of the total drug overdose deaths that year and a decrease of 23.8% from the 720 drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine in 2024.

– Cocaine was identified in 227 drug overdose deaths, representing 20.5% of the total drug overdose deaths that year and a decrease of 20.4% from the 285 drug overdose deaths involving cocaine in 2024.

– Acetylfentanyl was identified in 75 drug overdose deaths, representing a decrease of 80.7% from the 389 drug overdose deaths involving acetylfentanyl in 2024.

– Oxycodone was identified in 102 drug overdose deaths, representing a decrease of 13.6% from the 118 drug overdose deaths involving oxycodone in 2024.

– Heroin was identified in 26 drug overdose deaths, representing a decrease of 31.6% from the 38 drug overdose deaths involving heroin in 2024.

– Alprazolam was identified in 97 drug overdose deaths, representing a decrease of 2% from the 99 drug overdose deaths involving alprazolam in 2024.