Katie LannanState House News ServiceBOSTON - Preliminary Department of Public Health data show 1,038 people died of opioid overdoses in the first six months of this year, an estimated 5 percent decrease from the same time period in 2020. Cooke said the rate of opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts increased 5 percent from 2019 to 2020, landing at 30.2 deaths per 100,000 residents or slightly below the 2016 peak of 30.6. In May, the DPH reported a total 2,104 confirmed and estimated opioid deaths in 2020. Cooke's presentation Wednesday showed 1,089 confirmed and estimated deaths in the first six months of 2020. Data presented to the council showed that confirmed opioid overdose death rates "increased significantly" for Black non-Hispanic males between 2019 and 2020, while decreasing for white non-Hispanic males.

Source: MetroXpress August 11, 2021 16:30 UTC