Opioids

Los Angeles County

This dashboard serves to track patterns in opioid abuse and its consequences, including for prescription opioids, natural/semi-synthetic opioids, synthetic opioids, and heroin. Data on prevalence of abuse, perceptions regarding use, opioid prescriptions, healthcare utilization, deaths, opioid use disorder treatment, and safe disposal of prescription opioids in Los Angeles County are presented. This data supports the efforts of SafeMedLA, the prescription drug abuse coalition of Los Angeles County.

Click on a tile below to explore the Los Angeles County data in more depth:

Prevalence

Illicit Supply

Prescriptions

Perceptions

ED Visits

Hospitalizations

Deaths

Treatment

Harm Reduction

Key Indicators

3.0%

Prescription pain reliever misuse in past year
(2021-23)

0.3%

Heroin use in past year among adults (2021-23)

271

Opioid prescriptions per 1,000 residents (2023)

3 in 10

Fentanyl-laced fake pills with lethal dose (2026)

11,855

Opioid-related
 ED visits (2024)

18,028

Opioid-related hospitalizations (2024)

5,343

Primary heroin treatment admissions (FY2425)

1,392

Accidental opioid overdose deaths (2024)

See our other data stories:

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Methamphetamine

Cannabis

References

California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). Nonpublic Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Department data 2015-2024. California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES). https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/

United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). One Pill Can Kill – Counterfeit Pills Fact Sheet. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/OPCK-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner (ME). Medical Examiner investigation reports. Data as of May 2025.

Los Angeles County Participant Reporting System (LACPRS). Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2021-2023 Substate Estimates. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/nsduh/substate-reports

Updated 3/23/2026

This dashboard was developed by the Health Outcomes and Data Analytics (HODA) Division of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) Bureau in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. For information regarding this story, please contact Tina Kim, PhD at tkim@ph.lacounty.gov