Opioid-related Deaths on Decline in Massachusetts

BOSTON (AP) — The number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts declined by about 6 percent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2018, but fentanyl-related deaths remain on the rise.

The state Department of Public Health on Monday reported that between January and September of 2019, there were 1,460 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in the state, 99 fewer than in the first nine months of 2018.

In the first six months of 2019, fentanyl was present in 93 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths where there was a toxicology screen, up from 89 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths where there was a toxicology screen in 2018.

State Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel says the data indicate that the public health-centered approach to the opioid epidemic is working.

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