Overdose Deaths Fall (slightly) in Mass

[OutdoorLover]

Drug overdose deaths fell by a smidge over 10% in 2023 versus 2022. This echoes a national decline, but in fact the Mass decline was nearly double that of the national decline of 5.1%.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...shows-opioids/

[BruinsGirl]

So it is not because people are using less, but due to naloxone?

The state’s Department of Public Health (DPH) said it continues to invest in harm reduction programs like expanding access to naloxone, fentanyl test trips, and sterile consumption supplies. Just in 2023, more than 262,100 naloxone doses were distributed through community-level naloxone distribution programs and more than 9,100 overdoses were reversed using the medication, DPH said.

This is useless...

Deaths caused by cocaine and methadone increased slightly, data show.

Deaths from harm reduction meds?!?!?!

How do they get methadone? It should be administered by centers

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

So it is not because people are using less, but due to naloxone?



This is useless...




Deaths from harm reduction meds?!?!?!

How do they get methadone? It should be administered by centers

I am not able to understand what you are saying... there is not a full accounting, but yes, the article suggests that the reduction in deaths is primarily due to administration of naloxone to people experiencing an opioid overdose so as to save their life, and from the use of fentanyl test strips to allow testing illicit drugs so as to see if they have been adulterated with fentanyl.

After that, what are you trying to say?

[BruinsGirl]

I am saying that people are not getting treatment (I know they need to want it), but are lucky to be saved by naloxone.
Next time when nobody is next to them they will overdose.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

I am saying that people are not getting treatment (I know they need to want it), but are lucky to be saved by naloxone.
Next time when nobody is next to them they will overdose.

My interpretation is that MA is not curing people of addiction, rather they are just postponing the deaths via interventions with naloxone. This just means more of a burden is being placed on the state health administration and how long is that sustainable with everything else that is going on?

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

My interpretation is that MA is not curing people of addiction, rather they are just postponing the deaths via interventions with naloxone. This just means more of a burden is being placed on the state health administration and how long is that sustainable with everything else that is going on?

Pretty much.


None of the leaders of this state even pretend to care about sustainability anymore. They don't have to.

[BruinsGirl]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Pretty much.


None of the leaders of this state even pretend to care about sustainability anymore. They don't have to.

Exactly. This is not good for addicts nor for anyone around. It’s ok to save person, but it needs to go hand and hand with real treatment.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

Exactly. This is not good for addicts nor for anyone around. It’s ok to save person, but it needs to go hand and hand with real treatment.

Well, I would counter that "not dying" is probably considered by most addicts to be a better short-term outcome than dying.

But as you point out, there is the very real issue of bridging the gap between short term intervention and long-term recovery. Making naloxone readily available on a large scale has helped stave off deaths. That's what those numbers appear to indicate and that's a good thing. But it's not going to get people into treatment/recovery and help keep them there. It's not the solution to the opioid epidemic. But it's also not the issue either.

[msRB311]

Saving addicts as cruel as it sounds is very expensive...and it will likely happen again.

[BruinsGirl]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Well, I would counter that "not dying" is probably considered by most addicts to be a better short-term outcome than dying.

But as you point out, there is the very real issue of bridging the gap between short term intervention and long-term recovery. Making naloxone readily available on a large scale has helped stave off deaths. That's what those numbers appear to indicate and that's a good thing. But it's not going to get people into treatment/recovery and help keep them there. It's not the solution to the opioid epidemic. But it's also not the issue either.

Agree, it is not the issue, but it is not a solution, so nothing to be happy about. It is keeping people on ventilator without treatment, but it is also in many cases endangering everyone surrounding them. Deeply loving relatives face a very difficult choice ... disconnect ... or be at risk. Mothers actually dream about kids getting to prison to be safe and them to be safe. Something needs to be done to enforce treatment.