Fewer people are dying of overdoses from opioids in New Hampshire, but the Keene Sentinel reports that this may not be due to less drug use or addiction:
he new data update last year’s total to 276 confirmed overdose deaths, with 14 toxicology reports pending. In 2017, the state recorded 490 overdose deaths, and 431 were confirmed in 2023.
The Sentinel’s reporting in January found that the falling number of opioid overdose deaths can in part be attributed to the widespread proliferation of Narcan, the overdose reversal drug the FDA approved for over-the-counter use in March 2023. Lessening stigmas and rising education on overdoses have also been contributing factors, according to local recovery organizations.
The decline in deaths does not necessarily mean that addiction or overdoses are falling, according to Randy Herk, director of recovery services at Reality Check, a Jaffrey-based addiction services organization. “People are overdosing, it’s just that they’re not having to call 911 because they have the Narcan.”
Return to the Concord Monitor