Michigan has recently experienced a notable 41% decrease in the number of opioid overdose deaths, from 2,287 in 2023 to 1,342 in 2024. While this is encouraging news, there are still “hotspots” within the state where opioid-related crisis indicator rates have been and continue to remain higher than other parts of the state.
The University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions and Overdose Prevention Engagement Network (OPEN) have released an update to the Michigan Opioid Map and white paper that looks at trends within opioid use hotspots. These resources highlight county-level socioeconomic and health-related data alongside indicators related to opioid use disorder, such as EMS response rates and opioid-related hospitalizations.
The first iteration of the map and white paper examined 2019 data, with a second iteration released last summer examining 2023 data. Now, a third iteration looks at the latest data to shed new light on four previously identified hotspots:
- Bay County Region (Alcona, Iosco, Arenac, Bay, Saginaw, and Genesee counties),
- Marquette County Region (Baraga, Marquette, Dickinson, Delta, and Menominee counties),
- Wayne-Macomb-St. Clair Counties Region, and
- Muskegon to Manistee Region (Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, and Manistee counties).
Read the full story as published on the U-M Poverty Solutions website