Connecticut data shows Litchfield County's overdose death rate fell from 43.7 to 20.1 per 100,000 from 2020 to 2024. Here's what actually changed.
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In 2020, Litchfield County recorded an age-adjusted overdose death rate of 43.7 per 100,000 residents. By 2024, that rate had fallen to 20.1 per 100,000 residents. That is a 54 percent decline in four years. The improvement is real, measurable, and the third consecutive annual drop.
Key Takeaways
- Litchfield County's overdose death rate dropped 54% from 2020 to 2024, falling from 43.7 to 20.1 per 100,000 residents.
- Connecticut statewide recorded 989 confirmed overdose deaths in 2024, down 26.1% from 1,338 deaths in 2023.
- Naloxone distribution and harm reduction expansion are likely the primary drivers. Fewer fatal overdoses does not mean fewer people struggle with addiction.
- Fentanyl's share of overdose deaths is falling, from 85.3% in 2022 to approximately 69.9% in preliminary 2025 data, the lowest level since 2019.
- New Milford saw its overdose death count drop from 10 in 2015 to 3 in both 2023 and 2024.
Litchfield County's Four-Year Decline
The year-by-year trend: 2020: 43.7 per 100,000; 2021: 29.3 per 100,000; 2022: 31.7 per 100,000; 2023: 27.3 per 100,000; 2024: 20.1 per 100,000.
The largest single-year drop occurred between 2020 and 2021, a 33 percent decline. The overall trend is unmistakable: Litchfield County has moved from one of Connecticut's highest overdose death rates to a rate well below the state average.
New Milford's Local Picture
New Milford, the town where our New Milford, CT treatment center serves adults in recovery, offers a street-level view of this county-wide shift. In 2015, the town recorded 10 accidental drug-related deaths. By 2024, that number had fallen to 3, a 70 percent reduction.
The trajectory: 2015: 10 deaths; 2018: 9 deaths; 2020: 5 deaths; 2021: 4 deaths; 2022: 8 deaths; 2023: 3 deaths; 2024: 3 deaths.
Connecticut's Statewide Reversal
Connecticut's overdose death landscape shifted dramatically after 2021. The state recorded 1,524 overdose deaths that year, representing the peak of the opioid crisis in Connecticut. Since then: 2021: 1,524 deaths (state peak); 2023: 1,338 deaths; 2024: 989 confirmed deaths.
The 2024 figure represents a 26.1 percent drop from 2023, the third consecutive year of decline. Fentanyl was involved in 85.3 percent of Connecticut overdose deaths in 2022, fell to approximately 76 percent by 2024, and preliminary 2025 figures show 69.9 percent, the lowest share since 2019.
Why Are Deaths Actually Falling?
The decline in overdose deaths does not represent a decline in substance use disorder. What has likely changed is the fatality rate of overdoses themselves. Three factors deserve the most credit: naloxone saturation, expanded harm reduction infrastructure, and changing drug supply composition.
What These Numbers Don't Tell Us
It is critical to be clear about what a 54 percent decline in overdose deaths actually means: fewer people died from overdoses in Litchfield County in 2024 than in 2020. It does not necessarily mean fewer people have substance use disorder.
One methodological note: 2025 data is still preliminary. Deaths from 2025 will continue to be confirmed and revised as toxicology results are finalized.
What Comes Next
Litchfield County's 54 percent decline in overdose deaths is genuine progress. It is also a reminder that substance use disorder remains a condition that requires treatment, not just emergency reversal.
Sources
- Connecticut Department of Public Health — Fatal Unintentional and Undetermined Intent Drug Overdose Reporthttps://portal.ct.gov/dph/-/media/dph/injury-and-violence-prevention/opioid-overdose-data/monthly-death-reports/2019-december-2025_drug-overdose-deaths-monthly-report_connecticut_1-22-2026_final.pdf
- Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner — Accidental Drug Related Deaths datasethttps://data.ct.gov/Health-and-Human-Services/Accidental-Drug-Related-Deaths-2012-2023/rybz-nyjw
Reviewed by
Warren PhillipsCo-Founder, LMSW · Editorial Reviewer
Warren Phillips is a Co-Founder of Lantana Recovery and a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) specializing in substance abuse and mental health treatment. He previously worked in various capacities at Turnbridge Addiction Treatment and Clearpoint Recovery Center before co-founding Lantana Recovery. Warren's clinical approach draws on a strengths-based perspective, Twelve Step philosophies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. He brings both personal and professional experience to his work — as a person in long-term recovery from alcohol and illicit substances, he has used that experience to help shape Lantana's treatment programming. Warren grew up in Memphis, TN and St. Louis, MO, attended college in Mississippi, and lived in California and Connecticut before relocating to Charleston. He now lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Angela, and their two young children, Hall and Sam.
Written by the Lantana Recovery Editorial Team and reviewed for clinical accuracy before publication.
