"THE STATE WAS already swimming upstream against the opioid epidemic, but new numbers showing record high opioid-related overdose deaths brought an undercurrent of despair to Healey administration discussion of how to stem the toll.There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated fatal opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts last year, or 33.5 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to the Department of Public Health. The figure marks a 2.5 percent increase from 2021 and a 9 percent jump from 2016’s pre-pandemic peak, which itself capped a startling rise in deaths over the prior five years. Populations of color and rural areas have seen the largest jumps in opioid overdose deaths.....Public health officials warn that drug dealers mixing synthetic opioids like fentanyl and other substances into their offerings have created an extremely dangerous cocktail.“We have a toxic drug supply,” said Deirdre Calvert, director of the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re using opiates or not. You’re at risk if you’re using drugs that are bought illicitly.”
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| CommonWealth Magazine: "2022 numbers paint bleak picture, with renewed calls for supervised injection sites" |
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