The Connecticut medical examiner says the number of fatal drug overdoses in the state dropped for the first time since counting began in 2012.
In Connecticut last year 1,017 people died from drug overdoses. That’s 21 fewer deaths than in 2017.
Diana Shaw, with the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said the slowdown in deaths is encouraging.
“But when you look at the numbers, they’re still pretty high. It’s still 1,000 lives that we’ve lost in Connecticut, and for us it’s 1,000 too many.”
Shaw credits an increase in responsible prescribing and availability of medications like Narcan, which can reverse the effects of a drug overdose.
However, the number of deaths due to fentanyl has increased. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin. Fentanyl played a part in three out of every four overdose deaths last year.
