Governor, Kentucky leaders react to drop in fatal overdoses in 2024

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — On Tuesday afternoon in the Capitol rotunda, Gov. Andy Beshear, state leaders, and other community members celebrated new statistics relating to the number of overdose deaths in the Commonwealth.

“After years of challenges and struggle, we are seeing what real hope looks like in the Commonwealth’s fight against the scourge of addiction,” the governor said.

That hope comes from newly released data in Team Kentucky’s 2024 Drug Overdose Fatality Report.

It found that last year, the Commonwealth saw a 30.2% decrease in overdose deaths compared to previous years.

That is a stark difference from the 9.8% decrease reported in 2023.

“It is a hard-fought miracle that we are here to celebrate the third year in a row that overdose deaths have declined in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which means more Kentuckians have achieved recovery and more of our families have been saved,” Beshear said.

But Beshear said there is still a lot of work to do.

That is why he laid out his plan to keep the momentum going and signed the “Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities Plan” for the 2026 fiscal year.

He said the goal is to help destroy and remove illicit drugs from communities.

Those who overcame the battle of drug addiction said the support from the state to attack this issue head-on is reassuring. Some, like Brandon Fitch, are even part of the solution.

“I am a brand-new member of the Cabinet of Health and Family Services. But I want to say the most important thing for me to say today is my name is Brandon, and I am a person in long-term recovery,” Fitch said, addressing the crowd in the Rotunda.

He is a program administrator for recovery services with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.

Even though 170,000 doses of Narcan were distributed throughout the Commonwealth last year, and 21 Kentucky counties are now certified “recovery-ready communities,” those who are part of the fight say one of the most important steps is to remove the stigma around asking for help.

Odell Hager would know well. He told FOX 56 that he celebrated his fourth year of sobriety on April 17. “We got a disease, and once everybody can start looking at it that way, just like they see cancer and diabetes, then it’s going to erase that stigma and try to eliminate it a bit more to get people the help that they need and deserve.”

Hager is now the community outreach director at Still Waters Counseling & Recovery Resources.

If you are someone struggling with addiction or know someone who is struggling with addiction, call the KY HELP Call Center at 833-859-4357 to get connected to treatment.

You can find more information about treatment programs across Kentucky by clicking here.