U.S. overdose deaths decline, but Monroe County's drug crisis persists. See the numbers

David Robinson, New York State Team
A staircase in an abandoned house in the Joseph Avenue area of Rochester, New York was full of litter from drug use in 2020.
A staircase in an abandoned house in the Joseph Avenue area of Rochester, New York was full of litter from drug use in 2020.

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.

But a look at Monroe County's opioid dashboard Tuesday underscored the ongoing drug crisis, with the county reporting 73 opioid-related deaths so far this year. At the same time, a total of 763 opioid overdoses plagued Monroe, which has faced among the highest opioid death rates per capita in New York in recent years, state data show.

Which NY counties have highest drug death rates?

Volunteer Stephen Wallace walks through a parking lot near Avenue A and North Clinton Ave where he collects syringes and hands out Narcan , and other supplies to help protect those in the drug community.
Volunteer Stephen Wallace walks through a parking lot near Avenue A and North Clinton Ave where he collects syringes and hands out Narcan , and other supplies to help protect those in the drug community.

Monroe 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.

The highest per capita death rates were in Ulster (63) and Sullivan (62). Then came Chautauqua (56), the Bronx (54) and Dutchess (40).

The statewide opioid death rate was 27 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022, the most recent state data show.

NY drug crisis:Will NY declare drug overdoses a state emergency? Lawmakers raise alarm about rising deaths

Overall, Monroe County had 292 opioid deaths in 2022. That was up from 249 deaths the prior year.

By contrast, 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.

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.

How many naloxone overdose reversals, treatment admissions?

A naloxone kit, used by the Ramapo Police Department, to revive a person who has overdosed on heroin or other opioids.
A naloxone kit, used by the Ramapo Police Department, to revive a person who has overdosed on heroin or other opioids.

As for naloxone use by emergency medical services, Monroe EMS reported using the opioid overdose antidote 806 times last year, down slightly from 822 in 2022. Westchester EMS had 531 naloxone uses last year, up from 379 in 2022.

Statewide, EMS reported administering naloxone 20,781 times last year, down slightly from 21,684 the prior year.

About 3,900 people in Monroe received opioid-related admissions for treatment services in 2022, down from 4,145 the prior year. Westchester reported 1,708 treatment admissions in 2022, down from nearly 2,000 the prior year, the most recent full-year data show.

Which drugs are killing Americans

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.

National drug crisis:Drug overdoses spiked in these states. But they have dropped elsewhere in the country.

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 Rockland/Westchester Journal News: U.S. overdose deaths decline, but drug crisis persists in Rochester NY

Advertisement