May 12, 2021
The state Department of Public Health recently released data through 2020 for opioid-related incidents and deaths. Additional cases are still being confirmed by the Chief Medical Examiner, but this is the region’s first glimpse into the impact of opioid use during the pandemic.
Most MetroWest communities remained stable from 2019 to 2020 in terms of the number of overdose-related deaths; more deaths occurred in MetroWest communities in 2018 than in 2019 or 2020 (87 in 2018, compared to 70 in 2019 and 70 in 2020), and more MetroWest residents lost their lives to overdose in 2018 than in 2019 or 2020 (100 in 2018, compared to 72 in 2019 and 77 in 2020).
Access the most recent MetroWest summaries of opioid-related overdose deaths and EMS incidents now.
To see previous MetroWest reports, visit our overview from June 2020.
To read about recent federal-level policy related to the opioid crisis, review our latest Policy Watch: New Federal Action Expands Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.