CT Drug Overdose Deaths Drop For First Time In Years

HARTFORD, CT — Fatal overdose deaths in Connecticut dropped for the first time in 2018 after several years of large increases.

There were 1,017 deaths in 2018 compared to 1,038 in 2017 and 917 in 2016. Fentanyl continues to be the most common drug found in overdoses with it being present in more than three out of every four deaths, said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill.

The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl was involved in less than 100 overdose deaths until 2015.

The number of overdoses involving heroin has dropped. It was involved in 391 deaths in 2018 compared to 474 in 2017 and 508 in 2016.

Connecticut has passed a number of laws over the past few years in an effort to curtail the opioid addiction epidemic. In most controlled substances including opioids must be sent electronically for prescriptions. It also established a prescription drug monitoring program to help prevent "doctor shopping" for opioid prescriptions. It also limits the initial amount of opioids that can be prescribed to adults and minors.

Emergency responders have also been equipped with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversing drug.

Below is the most recent overdose death data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner: