Jeffrey A. Singer
Jeffrey A. Singer
In a September blog post, I discussed the encouraging news from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) that drug overdose fatalities decreased from approximately 112,000 to approximately 97,000 during the 12 months ending on April 30, 2024. I speculated that policymakers are increasingly willing to permit harm-reduction organizations to expand syringe services programs, distribute the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, distribute fentanyl test strips, and educate people who use drugs about ways to consume more safely. Last week, the NCHS reported that the trend continued through June 30. Overdose deaths dropped from 113,000 to 97,000 during the 12 months ending on June 30, 2024.
I recently spoke with Abby Rosen, the interim executive director of Sonoran Prevention Works(SPW), one of the oldest and largest harm reduction organizations in Arizona. Abby agreed with my hypothesis. She shared the experiences that the organization’s staff have been reporting. While these reports are anecdotal, staff reports from various and diverse communities across the state have been consistent.
In an email to me, Rosen wrote:
Staff across the state are observing a significant uptick in reported overdose reversals over the past few months. Participants are sharing these instances when they interact with staff at outreach site, SPW trainings, or when they come in to volunteer. Harm reduction tools, like intramuscular naloxone, are making a meaningful impact. These tools are being distributed to people who use drugs, so that they can continue to save others’ lives in their community.
Rosen added, however, that fatal overdoses are not going down equally among demographics and are still disproportionately high in Black and Indigenous communities in the state.
Another factor that might be contributing to the drop in overdose fatalities is the increasing number of people smoking fentanyl rather than injecting it. As drug dealers are increasingly selling fentanyl in pill as opposed to powder form, » Read More
https://www.cato.org/blog/has-overdose-death-rate-peaked-insights-arizona-harm-reduction-organization