Overdose deaths down in U.S. But crisis still rages in Westchester County. See the numbers
Drug overdose deaths declined slightly in the U.S. last year, marking the first dip since 2018, but many New York communities continued to face historically high rates of opioid-related addiction and suffering.
Officials estimated 107,543 U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2023, a 3% decline from the 111,029 deaths in 2022. In New York, excluding New York City, the provisional drug death toll was 3,362, which marked a nearly 3.5% drop. New York City's death count held about flat at nearly 3,200.
Which NY counties have highest drug death rates?
The statewide opioid death rate was 27 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022, the most recent state data show.
The highest per capita death rates were in Ulster (63) and Sullivan (62). Then came Chautauqua (56), the Bronx (54) and Dutchess (40).
Westchester County had 146 opioid deaths in 2022, or a rate of nearly 15 deaths per 100,000 population. That was down from 150 total deaths the prior year.
Monroe County had the sixth-highest opioid death rate among New York counties in 2022, at 39 deaths per 100,000 population, the most recent state data show.
Overall, Monroe County had 292 opioid deaths in 2022. That was up from 249 deaths the prior year.
County-level data through September of 2023 suggested both Monroe and Westchester counties followed national trends of drug deaths declining or plateauing last year, but more detailed analysis will come when final county data is released in coming months.
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How many naloxone overdose reversals, treatment admissions?
As for naloxone use by emergency medical services, Westchester EMS had 531 naloxone uses last year, up from 379 in 2022. Monroe EMS reported using the opioid overdose antidote 806 times last year, down slightly from 822 in 2022.
Statewide, EMS reported administering naloxone 20,781 times last year, down slightly from 21,684 the prior year.
Westchester reported 1,708 opioid-related treatment admissions in 2022, down from nearly 2,000 the prior year, the most recent full-year data show. About 3,900 people in Monroe received admissions for treatment services in 2022, down from 4,145 the prior year.
Drug overdoses across the U.S. Drug overdoses spiked in these states. But they have dropped elsewhere in the country.
Which drugs are killing the most people in the U.S.?
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are a factor in 2 in 3 overdose deaths. These deaths have accelerated in recent years with the widespread availability of cheap, illicit fentanyl, which is often manufactured overseas and smuggled into the U.S.
A National Institutes of Health study recently said law enforcement seized more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023, a dramatic increase since 2017, when fewer than 50,000 pills were confiscated.
Fentanyl is often combined with other street drugs, and people who overdose might have multiple drugs in their system. The CDC estimated more than 36,000 overdose deaths last year involved psychostimulants such as methamphetamine. Nearly 30,000 overdose victims had cocaine in their system, the estimates said.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen said the preliminary figures show there are "far too many" overdose deaths, a trend that reflects the "potency of what's in our communities."
"We're working hard, so I'm glad to see it's a small reduction," Cohen told USA TODAY Network this week during a tour of the Fountain House, a mental health nonprofit in New York City. "It's a start, but we have more work to do there and I want to see that continue."
Ken Alltucker of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Westchester County opioid overdose numbers as deaths are down in U.S.
