MONTGOMERY, Ala. – As the country marks National Opioid Awareness Day on Monday, the Alabama Department of Mental Health is highlighting the state’s progress on reducing overdose deaths.
Substance-related overdose deaths fell 46% in Alabama between March 2024 and March 2026, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“In Alabama, we are committed to increasing awareness through continued education, prevention, treatment and recovery supports,” Commissioner Kimberly Boswell said in a press release. “As we celebrate National Opioid Awareness Day today and every day, we are encouraged by the progress made to expand access to care, support individuals and families, decrease overdoses, and save lives.”
The ADMH said in the release that more than 222,000 kits including overdose-reversal medication naloxone have been distributed in Alabama since 2019. The department attributes the progress to “coordinated efforts” between the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, the Oversight Commission on Alabama Opioid Settlement Funds, state agencies and community partners and providers.
The state established the oversight group in 2023 after receiving more than $720 million in opioid settlement money from pharmacies CVS and Walgreens, as well as drug makers Teva, Cardinal Health, Cencora and Allergan for their role in the opioid epidemic.
Oversight Commission Chair Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, said that National Opioid Awareness Day is a reminder that though the state has made strides forward in addressing the opioid crisis, its work is not done.
“While the height of the opioid epidemic is thankfully behind our state, its devastating impacts are still being felt across all of Alabama’s 67 counties,” Reynolds said. “Through a strong partnership between the Alabama Legislature, the Department of Mental Health, and the Oversight Commission on Opioid Settlement Funds, our state has successfully invested over $34 million in prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts that are saving lives.”
This year’s message “emphasizes that addressing the opioid crisis requires a commitment that extends beyond a single day,” the department said.
“Today is National Opioid Awareness Day. In Alabama, it’s every day,” the message reads.
The awareness campaign includes digital billboards in 182 locations across the state, social media posts and a homepage takeover on opioidstake.com, a website funded by the settlement.