Opioid associated overdose deaths fell 36% in Massachusetts in 2024, reaching their lowest level since 2013, in keeping with provisional CDC information.
In 2024, Massachusetts had 1,340 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths, down 764 from 2023, the federal information confirmed.
The Massachusetts Division of Public Health mentioned the discount in deadly overdoses is probably going contributed to by important investments to increase entry to companies. The division cited housing applications for folks with a substance use dysfunction, elevated entry to opioid use dysfunction medicines and community-based companies like Peer Restoration Help Facilities.
Within the final 12 months, DPH mentioned they distributed over 500,000 fentanyl take a look at strip kits and practically 200,000 naloxone kits to neighborhood organizations throughout the state. The naloxone kits contributed to the reversal of a minimum of 7,500 overdoses in 2024, the division said.
The decline continues a downward pattern throughout the state from 2023, when opioid overdose deaths noticed their largest decline in over twenty years. In 2022, opioid-related overdose deaths had been nonetheless rising throughout the state.
The statewide pattern mirrors related declines on the Boston and nationwide ranges.
In 2024, the CDC reported an almost 27% lower in drug overdose deaths throughout the U.S. from the earlier 12 months, the “the largest one-year decline ever recorded.”
In Boston, opioid-related overdose deaths fell a good steeper 38% in 2024, in keeping with the Boston Public Health Fee.
The downward pattern comes because the opioid drug provide continues to be “heavily contaminated” with fentanyl, DPH mentioned, noting that the artificial drug is current in about 92% of all deadly opioid-related overdoses when toxicology was out there.
Throughout Massachusetts, the opioid overdose deaths are down throughout all demographics, DPH mentioned. Nonetheless, the division mentioned, they’re persevering with to handle disparities impacting communities of coloration.
DPH famous they’ve distributed $2.9 million in grants to twenty organizations led by folks of coloration to handle substance use within the communities.
The division mentioned, regardless of the “encouraging” reductions in overdose deaths, continued help is required to maintain addressing harms of stimulants, alcohol use, and different substances.
Massachusetts additionally noticed a downward pattern in all drug overdose deaths, which fell 11% in 2024 in comparison with a 3% drop nationwide. DPH famous that cocaine-related overdose deaths decreased by a slower charge, 31.2%, in 2024.
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