Overview

• Last year’s 2,137 national overdose fatalities averaged six deaths per day, a slight decrease from 2023 even as Berlin’s toll rose to 294, the highest ever recorded in the city.
• Toxicology reports found unprecedented poly-drug consumption in many victims, with some cases involving four to six different psychoactive substances.
• Synthetic opioids and other designer compounds were detected in more overdose victims than ever before, reflecting faster illicit-drug innovation driven by globalization, digitalization and AI.
• Overdose deaths among people under 30 climbed steeply as younger users face more potent and unpredictable substances.
• Neukölln authorities called for a new supervised consumption site alongside expanded drug checking and psychosocial support to curb further fatalities.