Overdose deaths fall statewide, but the opioid fight is far from over

Across South Carolina, new numbers show fewer people are dying from overdoses. But drug prevention officials say the danger is still moving fast. 

The South Carolina Department of Public Health’s newly released 2024 Drug Overdose Deaths Report shows 1,481 overdose deaths statewide last year, down 31.3% from 2,157 deaths in 2023. 

It marks the second straight annual decline, after a 6.1% drop from 2022 to 2023, which was the state’s first decrease in overdose deaths since 2012. 

Most of South Carolina’s 46 counties saw overdose deaths decline from 2023 to 2024. Aiken, Colleton, Georgetown, Jasper, and Spartanburg counties each saw a statistically significant decrease of 50% or more. 

Fentanyl remains the drug most tied to fatal overdoses. The synthetic opioid was involved in 914 of South Carolina’s 1,481 overdose deaths in 2024. 

Health officials say the statewide drop is tied to prevention, treatment, recovery efforts, and wider access to overdose-reversal medication. 

Julia Horan, director of the state's Substance Use Prevention Unit, told Count on News 2, “Even though overdoses are happening, we are intervening quickly, and we are saving lives. So, we’re keeping the death rate down.”  

Public health leaders say despite the drop in overdose deaths, the crisis is far from over.  

According to Berkeley County's overdose tracker website, there have been 78 reported overdoses in 2026, with 24 of those resulting in deaths. Opioids accounted for 57 of those overdoses. 

There were no reported overdose deaths in Berkeley County for June or July.  

In Charleston County, the sheriff’s office reported 39 overdoses so far in the month of July. Seven of those people died. 

“Definitely been an uptick,” said Lt. Stephen Kurdron, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office wellness unit. 

There were 153 drug-related deaths in Charleston County last year, according to the coroner's office. Officials said that represented a 19% decrease, a sign of progress, but not a finish line. 

Of those 153 deaths, Narcan, the brand name for naloxone which is used to quickly reverse an opioid overdose, was administered in only 23 cases. Ten of those doses came from bystanders. 

DPH offers free Opioid Overdose Safety Kits at health departments across the state. Each kit includes two doses of naloxone nasal spray, five fentanyl test strips, five xylazine test strips, and instructions. Interested residents can call their local DPH health department to check availability before pickup. No questions are required. 

“Carrying naloxone is an act of care, giving people the power to act in a moment when every second matters,” said Sara Goldsby, director of the Office of Substance Use Services. “It’s easy to use and can mean the difference between life and death.” 

Locally, WakeUp Carolina also offers free Narcan kits, training, and education across the Lowcountry. Last year, they teamed up with Berkeley County to install naloxone stations across the county's rural communities. 

Officials continue to warn the public about the dangers of opioids, saying fentanyl can show up in pills or substances people do not expect. 

“You could test one part of a sample, and that sample’s fine, and then another part might have two or three grains of something that’s fentanyl, and that’s what makes it deadly,” Kurdronsaid. 

For free naloxone locations, visit justplainkillers.com. Berkeley County's overdose tracker can be found at overdosetracking.berkeleycountysc.gov/stats/overdose_stats.php.