“Opioid-related drug deaths in Canada declined by 23 per cent from 2024 to 2025, but remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the federal government on Monday, June 15.

Across Canada, an average of 15 people per day died as a result of using opioids illegally in 2025, for a yearly total of 5,608. Deaths had spiked from 3,598 in 2019 to a pandemic-era high of 8,040 in 2023, but have been declining steadily since…

The government reports that stimulant-related deaths have also decreased year-over-year by 31 per cent. This progress is very uneven across Canada, with many regions seeing those deaths now outpacing opioid-related fatalities. This is the case in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories.”

From Red Deer Advocate.

“At the turn of the millennium, one-in-five adults in India smoked tobacco, and almost half of all adults were using any form of tobacco, including products that are chewed or sniffed.

But over the past two decades, rates of both have roughly halved.”

From Our World in Data.

“After two decades of rising deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide, the United States is at a turning point. Recent declines in mortality suggest meaningful progress, but that progress is fragile. Over the past year, the federal behavioral health and injury prevention systems that support prevention, surveillance, and crisis response have experienced leadership upheaval, funding disruptions, and workforce reductions.  Whether recent gains continue will depend on sustained investment in the public health infrastructure that makes prevention possible.

After peaking in 2021, this year’s report finds that the combined age-adjusted rate of deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide declined by 16 percent in 2024, building on a decrease of 4 percent in 2023.  Specifically, alcohol-induced mortality declined by 4 percent, drug overdose mortality by 26 percent, and suicide mortality by 3 percent.”

From Trust for America’s Health.

“In 2021, 162.86 million people had substance use disorders (95% UI = 145.95, 180.85).

The global age-standardised prevalence rate was 1982.13 per 100 000 (95% UI = 1773.57, 2206.29), declining by 16.9% (95% UI = −18.7, −14.9) since 1990; age-standardised incidence rate was 843.37 (95% UI = 736.21, 956.19), declining by 17.3% (95% UI = −19.7, −15.2).”

From Journal Of Global Health.