Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths Decline by 8.3% in 2017

Monday, February 19, 2018

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts fell by an estimated 8.3 percent in 2017, according to the quarterly report released on Wednesday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

See the Report Here

This is the third consecutive quarterly report where the number of estimated and confirmed opioid-related deaths declined.

"While there is still a lot of work to do, this report is encouraging news that gives us hope that we are beginning to bend the curve of this epidemic. As a Commonwealth, we must continue our aggressive efforts to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis. And I urge the legislature to pass our CARE Act which expands access to treatment and ask lawmakers to take swift action on legislation to crack down on the fentanyl trade. The data makes clear that we must give law enforcement every possible chance to track down this terrible drug and hold accountable those who sell it,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

Opioids by the Numbers

The total number of estimated and confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017 was 1,977, which is 178 fewer deaths than the 2,155 estimated and confirmed deaths in 2016, or an 8.3 percent decrease.

In past years, the year over year comparisons showed increases in opioid-related overdose deaths; the estimated opioid-related overdose death rate in 2016 increased by 22 percent from 2015; there was a 30 percent increase in 2015 from the prior year; and in 2014, there was a 39 percent increase from 2013.

“We continue to take affirmative steps to address the opioid crisis in Massachusetts. It is a promising trend that for the first time last year we saw overdose deaths actually decrease. Today’s report is a welcome development, however, there is so much more work to do to increase access to treatment - particularly for individuals who are Hispanic,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.

Other Findings

The rate of fentanyl present in the toxicology of opioid-related overdose deaths continues to rise and reached 83 percent in 2017, while the rate of heroin or likely heroin present in opioid-related deaths declined between 2015 and 2016 and stabilized in 2017.

The confirmed opioid-related overdose death rate for Hispanics doubled over a three year period, from 15.6 opioid-related overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2014 to 31.4 opioid-related overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2016.