BATON ROUGE — Louisiana has seen a sharp drop in opioid-related deaths and emergency department visits in recent years, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Between 2022 and 2025, opioid-related deaths in the state fell 59%, outpacing the national decline of 46.2%. During that same period, opioid-related emergency department visits dropped 52% and the rate of opioid prescriptions per 100 residents decreased 10%. The 2025 data is still preliminary.

Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said in a prepared statement that the state is seeing proven progress in behavioral health in Louisiana that is worth celebrating.

“The progress we’re seeing, particularly in reducing opioid deaths, shows that Louisiana is moving in the right direction,” Greenstein said. “We’re on the way up, and we’re going to keep building on what’s working, strengthening prevention, and making sure people can get the care they need, when they need it, because behind every statistic is a person who needs and deserves care.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health measured substance use, mental health, and access to treatment among 1,920 Louisiana residents. Louisiana’s average ranking across 38 items was 28 out of 51 states and the District of Columbia, with top 20 rankings on 13 items.

The state ranked second for perceptions of great risk from using cocaine once a month and trying heroin once or twice, and fifth for residents who received substance use treatment in the past year.
Louisiana also ranked eighth for residents who made any suicide plans in the past year, ninth for major depressive episodes, and 18th for serious thoughts of suicide.

Mental Health America’s 2025 State of Mental Health in America report showed Louisiana improved from 36th in 2023 to 27th in 2025. The state ranked 15th for adult mental illness prevalence and access to care, and in the top 20 on seven items, including 5th for adults with any mental illness reporting an unmet need for treatment.

LDH Office of Behavioral Health Assistant Secretary Holly Howat said that her office is using this and other data sources to chart a path to behavioral health excellence for all residents of Louisiana.

“We are continuing to create a system that is patient-centered, data-driven, and outcome-focused,” Howat said.

Recent data show reductions in opioid-related deaths, emergency department visits and prescription rates across the state.