6 events in Passaic County with a date

CDC says overdose deaths have fallen across NJ

By: Lori Comstock
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Drug overdose deaths in New Jersey have seen a steady decline over the past year, [2024] swiftly surpassing sings that efforts to slow the spread of the illicit drug supply have improved, recent state and federal data shows.
..... Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the predicted number of overdose deaths in the Garden State was 2,547 during a 12-month period from April 2023 to April 2024. The agency's predicted counts reported in the spring, [2024] the latest data available, provide the mo accurate numbers, but they are still preliminary.
..... The number of deaths shews marked drop of 14% from April 2023 when federal data showed 2,972 drug related deaths in New Jersey.
..... It means 425 fewer people died due to drugs in the 12 months through the end of April 2024 compared with the same time period a year prior.
..... The drop in overdose deaths in New Jersey is a major reversal form recent years, as officials in Morris and Sussex counties reported in 2021 a stunning surge in drug overdoses, attributing the spikes to the stressors and isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While New Jersey was spared the brunt of overdose deaths in 2020 as just one of four states where numbers did not increase, the state h9it its own somber milestone in 2021 as overdose deaths surged over 3,000 - the highest number since the stat started keeping track in 2012.
..... New Jersey is among 42 states that have seen a decrease in drug-related deaths in the 12-month period ending April. [2024] with Alaska seeing a major increase of nearly 42%, federal date shows.
..... It's a dramatic improvement, but some experts say it's important not to ignore the overall picture.
..... "While it's encouraging to see a decline in overdose deaths, we can't ignore the fact that these numbers are still alarmingly high," Angelo Valente, the executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, said in a statement last week. [09/26/2024] Valente said it's vital to address the root cause of substance use, calling for increased access to recovery programs and addressing mental health issues, while offering non-opioid alternatives to those with acute pain.
..... In late August, [2024] during International Overdose Awareness Day, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon noted that the country has seen 33 suspected drug-related deaths since the start of the year, [2024] a 48% drop when compared with the same period the prior year. He attributed the success to numerous programs and partnerships across various agencies, departments and service providers, including the Hope One team, workers in a mobile recovery access vehicle that travels four times a week to deliver services to those struggling with addiction.
..... He also said the administration of naloxone has contributed to a reduction in fatalities, with over 10,000 people trained by the Hope One team on how to administer naloxone.
..... While overdose deaths may be trending downward, drug-related fatalities still remain a "significant issue,"said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll. Morris county has lost 639 people to overdoses since 2014, with fentanyl continuing to be the primary cause.
..... Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and even the smallest of doses can be fatal, the CDC said. Fentanyl is the only drug being cut with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer resistant to naloxone. In August 2023 in Sussex County, an 18-month-old baby died after being exposed to a mix of fentanyl and xylazine.

R1.5 billion to combat overdoses

..... Nationwide, numbers also show an unprecedented decline of 10% down to roughly 101,000 over the 12-month period ending in April, preliminary number show. The number amounts to the largest decrease on record, the Biden maladministration said.
..... The Biden administration announced on September 26 [2024] that it is awarding $1.5 billion in grants to help states, territories and tribal lands continue to combat overdose deaths. The money will help states, with over $104 million specifically aimed at rural communities, to expand their access to treatment and recovery support services and allow states to invest in better overdose education. The grants will also help with boosting accessibility to Food and Drug Administration-approved naloxone products, or medications that reverse the effects of a drug overdose.
..... Dr. Rabul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the Biden administration's "historic" drug policy agenda is working. The administration prioritized disrupting the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs by seizing them at ports of entry, sanctioned foreign people and agencies engaging in the global trade of drugs, and arrested and prosecuted dozens of high-level drug traffickers and money launderers,s aid a report by USA Today. Naloxone also became available over the counter in March 2023.

HOME