Harm Reduction: Substance Use Disorder and Prevention

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Understanding the 10-Year Trend: 2015–2024: Over the past decade, opioid overdose deaths in the United States have shifted dramatically. From 2015 to 2022, deaths more than doubled driven largely by illicit synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl. The pandemic years accelerated this surge, exposing deep gaps in mental health access, substance use treatment, economic stability, and community support systems. In 2023 and 2024, we began to see meaningful declines. While this is hopeful, the crisis remains urgent. Tens of thousands of lives are still lost each year, and communities in the South and Bible Belt continue to carry disproportionate burdens. This is not just a drug crisis. It is a public health crisis. A mental health crisis. A policy crisis. A community response crisis. Remnant believes prevention, education, and coordinated community action save lives.