TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma recorded a 41% decline in drug overdose deaths between September 2024 and September 2025, according to newly released data by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, advocates who lost loved ones to overdoses say the battle against illicit drugs is far from over.
The CDC reported that Oklahoma lost 1,089 people to drug-related overdoses in September 2024. By September 2025, that number dropped to 642 — a 41.05% decline.
The CDC breaks down year-over-year differences nationwide:
Rebekah Brown, whose 18-year-old son Cole died four years ago from a Percocet containing Fentanyl, believes education and increased access to the life-saving drug Narcan contributed to the decrease.
"I am always optimistic that those numbers are correct, that everything that we're doing, because that's why we're out here doing it, is to save lives," Brown said. "I do believe that the Narcan distribution has saved a lot of people, and not being afraid to use it."
Brown is now a member of Families Supporting Families, where she helps educate the community about the dangers of drug use. Her son's death came from what appeared to be a prescription pill that was unknowingly laced with Fentanyl.
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"He's forever 18 to a Percocet that, unknowingly to him, had contained Fentanyl," Brown said. "It had enough to kill three grown adults, and it took his life and him away from us."
WATCH: Oklahoma overdose deaths drop:
Despite the encouraging statistics, Brown emphasizes vigilance remains crucial.
"The war is never over for drugs," Brown said. "Even if these numbers are saying they're going down in Oklahoma and other places, I always encourage people to still do the fight. Get people help if they're struggling, encourage them to reach out, carry Narcan so you can save a life. Every life is worth saving."
When asked if more conversations about opioids in 2021 could have changed her son's outcome, Brown stressed the importance of education.
"I do believe if he had known, he might have made a different choice," Brown said. "I think education is power for anybody, and you can't save yourself from something you don't really understand."
While the CDC did not attribute the decrease to any specific factors, Brown said it's critical to continue their mission of informing and making resources available to prevent more families from experiencing similar losses.
"We aren't ever going to win it, but I think we can definitely save lives," Brown said. "And to me, one life is one too many to be taken by Fentanyl or any kind of illicit drug."
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