Importance: Since 1999, over 1 million people have died of a drug overdose in the US. However, little is known about the bereaved, meaning their family, friends, and acquaintances, and their views on the importance of addiction as a policy priority.

Question: What is the magnitude of personal overdose loss (ie, knowing someone who died of a drug overdose) in the US, and what are the policy implications of this loss?

Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 2326 US adults, 32% reported knowing someone who died of a drug overdose. Experiencing personal overdose loss was associated with greater odds of endorsement of addiction as an important policy issue.

Meaning: The findings suggest that mobilizing the large portion of the US population that has experienced drug overdose loss may be an avenue to facilitating greater policy change.