Accidental overdoses in Connecticut fall for the third consecutive year

The death overdose deaths in Connecticut in 2024 decreased for the third consecutive year to the smallest issue of 2016, the State Office of the medical examiner announced on Tuesday.

It is a decrease that local health officials are partially attributed to local community efforts and local community to make more available Naloxona drugs to save life drugs. The powerful Opioid Fentanil analgesic continues to overcome the list of the most fatal drugs, representing 78% or 762 of the 982 fatal overdoses of the state in 2024. Opioids represented 86% or 845 of these deaths.

In general, overdoses decreased by 26% of the 1,329 deaths reported in 2023, reported the medical examiner. Connecticut hit a maximum level of deaths by overdose in 2021, when they were 1,524.

Meanwhile, New London County has increased drug victims in 2024, after two years of decreases, shows the Statistics Department of the Public Health State. New London County recorded 97 deaths by drug overdose in 2024, compared to 80 of 2023. New London County has reached a maximum level of 134 deaths by drug overdose in 2021 and was in trend.

Jennifer Muggeo, the director of health for the Health Health Light district, said that, despite the bump in number last year, believes that the efforts to educate the public and to enter the community in the community works.

I think our collective effort to saturate the community with Narcan (a brand name for Naloxone) had an impact, “Muggeo said.” I have seen a trend over time from the beginning of the crisis, that there are fewer dead. I had a bit of growth form 2023 by 2024, but the numbers are still smaller than I saw in the past. “

The State Department of Public Health reports that New London experienced 23 fatal overdoses in 2024, compared to 18 in 2023, 27 in 2022 and 40 in 2021. The number of deaths in Norwich was 32 in 2024, compared to 20 in 2023 and 34 in 2022.

The fact that emergency service providers are experiencing fewer non -Fatal overdoses is a sign that Naloxone is used successfully, Muggeo said. People with lightly available Naloxone are sometimes treated without emergency medical services. In addition to making Naloxone more widely available in the community, Muggeo said that there is a concerted effort to get information about contaminated drug supply and risk faced people because of this contamination.

“A few years ago, it was a new phenomenon that providing stimulants like cocaine was contaminated with Fentanil,” she said.

Now, she said, Narcan is widely used and Fentanil test strips are available.

“We continue to increase awareness about risk and what people can do to protect themselves. And continuous work,” Muggeo said.

Ledge Light has contributed to obtaining the financing that led to the installation of metal cabinets in public settings to complete with narcan, along with instructions and brochures on how to get help for substance abuse. The boxes had been installed outside the new London headquarters in Ledge Light and at Norwich’s Greeneville and Taftville Fire stations. Fire stations have been located in areas that the director of Norwich human services, Kate Milde, president or Task Force Norwich Opioid, said they were identified as hot spots for drug overdoses.

“The numbers dropped when I had the narcan there,” Mrs. said. “They were working.

The boxes were removed in 2024 due to a state law that handles that Naloxone cabinets should be installed with alarms and have temperature controls to prevent extreme heat or cold. Muggeo said he hopes that the reviews will be made to the law that will return the boxes.

Monde said that her group has been pivoting in an alternative solution and hopes to bring an online pilot program this year, which will see the Naloxone kits that appear in convenient stores throughout the region. She said that a large number of convenient store owners are on board the idea.

Ledge Light coordinated with the Alliance to live to create and maintain the peer navigator program, which started in 2017 and has people with experienced experiences in the community to provide resources and paths for treatment. Reliance Health in Norwich has similarly carried out a recovery bus program.

NLC Cares (coordinated access, resources, involvement and assistance) offers overdose and family assistance. The NLC telephone line can be reached at (860) 333-3494.

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