NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico health officials announced on Tuesday that overdose deaths declined in the state in 2023. In 2022, New Mexico had 997 overdose deaths. That number fell to 948 overdose deaths in 2023. In 2021, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 1,029 deaths. “These decreases are welcome news, but there is still much more to do to reduce the problem of substance misuse in New Mexico,” said NMDOH Interim Secretary Gina DeBlassie in a news release. “Substance misuse is a multifaceted and complex public health issue, and we need to continue to aggressively attack this problem.”  Story continues below Podcast: Albuquerque Mayor Talks Crime, Homelessness, Goals for 2025 Crime: Former Bernalillo County deputy sentenced for tipping off drug dealer to 2021 raid Business: New owners talk about what’s next for South Valley batting cage According to state health officials, fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in 2023. Methamphetamine involvement also remained high and was involved in 51% of overdose deaths. In 2023, most overdose deaths, about 84%, occurred among New Mexicans aged 25-64 years, with 26% of overdose deaths occurring in the 35-44 year age group.  Counties that had both a high number of overdose deaths (more than 20 deaths) and an overdose death rate greater than the statewide age-adjusted rate (46.3 deaths per 100,000 population) in 2023 include Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel.