Substance use is a serious concern in Rhode Island, but the state has posted one of the strongest recoveries in the nation, surpassing its 2030 overdose-reduction goal years early. Key figures:

• 404 accidental overdose deaths in 2023, down 7.3% from 2022, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.
• 329 accidental overdose deaths in 2024, an 18.6% decrease from 2023.
• 219 accidental overdose deaths in 2025, down from 436 in 2022.
• 85% of 2023 overdoses involved an opioid, and 78% involved fentanyl.
• Deaths from illicit drugs have fallen since 2022.
• Rhode Island surpassed its 2030 overdose-reduction goal ahead of schedule.

Rhode Island’s overdose crisis began with prescription drugs, but deaths from those have leveled off while illicit drug deaths have declined since 2022. The state has sustained a two-year decline in overdose deaths.

Rhode Island expanded Medicaid in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, and its Medicaid program covers the full range of addiction treatment. The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH) serves as the state’s opioid treatment authority and oversees the addiction treatment system. Of the 53 facilities listed below, 50 accept Medicaid.