NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Overdose deaths reached a historic high in New York City, rising 12% in just a single year—an increase that prompted the city health department to issue an advisory Monday that calls on New Yorkers to act to curb the startling rise.
“This crisis is killing a New Yorker every three hours and is impacting every individual and family in our city and in our nation,” the city health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said in a statement.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a commissioner's advisory, urging residents, providers and drug users in the city to act immediately in response to the increase in deaths.
Among the actions New Yorkers are encouraged to take are learning the signs of an overdose and training in naloxone (Narcan) administration. Health care providers are urged to screen for substance abuse and "break down stigma and shame by providing patients a safe place to talk about substance use and receive information."
The latest data revealed that there were a historic 3,026 overdose deaths in the city in 2022, compared to 2,696 in the previous year.
The situation was worse for Black and Latino New Yorkers. In 2022, Black New Yorkers had the highest overdose rate of 62 per 100,000 residents, followed by Latino New Yorkers with 53 per 100,000, according to the data.
An opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl continues to make headlines as it becomes more common. It was the leading drug found in 81% of drug overdose deaths in the city.
Residents of South Bronx neighborhoods, particularly Crotona-Tremont, Hunts Point-Mott Haven, and Highbridge, are facing the highest rates of overdose deaths citywide, according to the data.
For the first time, the department also provided information on the settings of overdose deaths. Approximately 60% occurred in a person's or someone else’s home, and 16% happened in a public setting.
New Yorkers should carry naloxone, engage in open, judgment-free conversations about drug use, avoid using drugs alone, and safely store all drugs, the health department said.