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Overdose trend
−54% from the peak
219 deaths in the 12 months to Dec 2025, down from 481 (to Jun 2022)
Primary driver
62% involved fentanyl
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in 136 of 219 overdose deaths in 2025
Mental health
25.6% depression
Rhode Island adults ever told they have depression in 2025, up from 22.0% in 2011
From the CDC's public data, updated here automatically when the CDC publishes new figures.
219 people died of an overdose in the 12 months to Dec 2025, down 54% from the peak of 481 in the 12 months to Jun 2022.
Each point counts the deaths in the 12 months up to that month. The dashed end marks recent months the CDC still counts as incomplete, as more deaths are reported. These are provisional figures, so they can differ slightly from final counts and from RIDOH's reports.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 250 | 254 | 262 | 267 | 282 | 296 | 308 | 308 | 326 | 322 | 323 | 319 |
| 2016 | 320 | 322 | 322 | 328 | 329 | 338 | 333 | 337 | 329 | 330 | 344 | 346 |
| 2017 | 350 | 340 | 346 | 339 | 324 | 320 | 321 | 326 | 330 | 332 | 326 | 332 |
| 2018 | 321 | 317 | 309 | 313 | 329 | 332 | 330 | 329 | 328 | 333 | 334 | 331 |
| 2019 | 344 | 345 | 348 | 345 | 349 | 341 | 345 | 341 | 334 | 325 | 318 | 317 |
| 2020 | 318 | 326 | 327 | 340 | 343 | 346 | 359 | 376 | 391 | 392 | 396 | 397 |
| 2021 | 402 | 409 | 407 | 411 | 419 | 415 | 403 | 407 | 412 | 432 | 454 | 460 |
| 2022 | 459 | 460 | 473 | 468 | 469 | 481 | 471 | 458 | 455 | 453 | 447 | 452 |
| 2023 | 460 | 454 | 448 | 452 | 438 | 432 | 448 | 444 | 443 | 426 | 422 | 416 |
| 2024 | 411 | 412 | 403 | 394 | 398 | 401 | 394 | 388 | 382 | 374 | 346 | 333 |
| 2025 | 312 | 302 | 303 | 292 | 275 | 258 | 245 | 243 | 227 | 223 | 231 | 219 |
| 2026 | 211* | 203* | 187* | 187* | 180* | |||||||
| * Incomplete: more deaths are still being reported for these months. | ||||||||||||
219 people died of an overdose in 2025, down from 333 in 2024. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in 136 of those deaths (62%).
Full calendar years. A death can involve more than one drug, so the groups add up to more than the total. No deaths involved heroin in either year.
| Drug involved | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All overdose deaths | 333 | 219 | −114 (−34%) |
| Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids | 202 | 136 | −66 (−33%) |
| Cocaine | 180 | 111 | −69 (−38%) |
| Methadone | 38 | 34 | −4 (−11%) |
| Prescription opioids such as oxycodone | 30 | 30 | 0 (0%) |
| Methamphetamine and other stimulants | 38 | 26 | −12 (−32%) |
| Heroin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In 2025, 25.6% of Rhode Island adults had been told they have depression, up from 22.0% in 2011. 15.9% reported frequent mental distress and 16.1% binge drinking.
Frequent mental distress
Share of adults, from 2019
Depression
Share of adults
Binge drinking
Share of adults
Statewide estimates from the CDC's yearly health survey; the shaded band is each year's 95% margin of error. Not age-adjusted, so they differ slightly from the county estimates. Frequent mental distress is in this data from 2019.
Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), prevalence data (opens in a new tab)
| Year | Frequent mental distress | Depression | Binge drinking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | — | 22.0% (20.6–23.4) | 19.7% (18.1–21.2) |
| 2012 | — | 20.3% (18.9–21.8) | 17.2% (15.7–18.7) |
| 2013 | — | 22.2% (20.8–23.6) | 17.8% (16.4–19.3) |
| 2014 | — | 20.6% (19.2–22.1) | 18.4% (16.7–20.0) |
| 2015 | — | 21.3% (19.7–22.8) | 16.0% (14.4–17.5) |
| 2016 | — | 22.3% (20.6–23.9) | 15.8% (14.2–17.3) |
| 2017 | — | 23.1% (21.5–24.8) | 18.1% (16.4–19.9) |
| 2018 | — | 20.8% (19.2–22.4) | 16.5% (14.8–18.1) |
| 2019 | 13.9% (12.5–15.3) | 19.6% (18.1–21.2) | 18.2% (16.5–19.9) |
| 2020 | 13.3% (11.8–14.8) | 21.1% (19.4–22.8) | 15.1% (13.5–16.7) |
| 2021 | 14.3% (13.0–15.7) | 23.3% (21.8–24.8) | 17.3% (15.8–18.8) |
| 2022 | 15.5% (14.1–16.9) | 22.3% (20.6–23.9) | 17.1% (15.5–18.7) |
| 2023 | 16.2% (14.6–17.8) | 21.7% (20.1–23.3) | 16.4% (14.8–17.9) |
| 2024 | 14.5% (13.2–15.8) | 24.9% (23.4–26.5) | 16.9% (15.4–18.4) |
| 2025 | 15.9% (14.5–17.3) | 25.6% (24.0–27.2) | 16.1% (14.7–17.6) |
In every county, 15.7% to 18.4% of adults reported frequent mental distress, the highest share in Providence County.
The CDC's newest county estimates, from its 2023 health survey: county figures come out about two years after the survey. Age-adjusted so counties compare fairly. Frequent mental distress: poor mental health on 14 or more of the past 30 days. Depression: ever told by a health professional they have depression. Binge drinking: 5 or more drinks on one occasion for men, 4 or more for women, in the past 30 days.
Source: CDC PLACES county estimates (2023 survey data) (opens in a new tab)
| County | Frequent mental distress | Depression | Binge drinking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 15.8% | 24.7% | 20.8% |
| Kent | 17.2% | 25.8% | 18.9% |
| Newport | 15.7% | 24.1% | 21.1% |
| Providence | 18.4% | 23.4% | 17.3% |
| Washington | 15.7% | 23.4% | 20.0% |
State dashboards, data and plans for substance use and behavioral health in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island's overdose data in one place, including emergency response (EMS) data, naloxone, harm reduction, medications for opioid use disorder, opioid prescribing, overdose deaths, and race and ethnicity trends.
BHDDH's data unit and its RI-BHOLD system, where more than 40 licensed treatment providers report client data used for federal reporting, Health Home reporting and program evaluation.
BHDDH's five-year plan, Charting the Course for Success: the goals, objectives and strategies for preventing substance misuse in Rhode Island.
Results of the state's survey of middle and high school students on substance use, bullying, depression, suicide and violence, with statewide and regional reports, on BHDDH's Prevention Unit page.
National surveys, state and regional comparisons, drug and alcohol data from the National Institutes of Health, and federal funding from SAMHSA.
SAMHSA's report for the New England states, including Rhode Island, on substance use, substance use disorders and mental health, compared with national figures. Uses 2022–2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data.
SAMHSA's home for national data, including the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) and the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS).
The National Institute on Drug Abuse's data on drug use in the U.S., including overdose death figures, the Monitoring the Future survey of teen drug and alcohol use (run since 1975), and early warnings of new drug trends from the National Drug Early Warning System.
National figures from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism on drinking and binge drinking, alcohol use disorder and its treatment, alcohol-related emergencies and deaths, and the economic cost of alcohol misuse, by age group.
NIAAA's Surveillance Report #124: how much alcohol is sold per person (age 14 and older) nationally and in each state, Rhode Island included, for beer, wine and spirits, from 1977 to 2024.
The federal block grant that funds states' substance use prevention, treatment and recovery services, with SAMHSA's requirements and guidance.
Data and planning for Rhode Island's health and human services workforce.
An interactive analysis of Rhode Island's health care workforce from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).
The state's health and human services workforce planning, including the Ladders to Licensure grant program, planning summits, workforce data resources and Caring Careers.
