Health & Fitness
Opioid Overdose Deaths on The Rise Once Again in Connecticut
Initial numbers for 2016 show that Connecticut's drug overdose deaths could set a depressing record by the end of the year.
Heroin and other opioid overdose deaths are projected to rise again in Connecticut this year after first quarter data results were compiled by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
There were 208 accidental intoxication deaths between January and March 2016, according to the office. The vast majority are opioid-related.
If the current trend continues, it is estimated that 832 people will die of overdoses by the end of the year compared to 729 in 2015 and 568 in 2014.
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The increase in deaths so far this year isn’t as dramatic as previous years. The increase is projected to be 50 percent lower than the increase from 2014 to 2015.
“Although the number of these deaths is still increasing, this may be a sign that the number of drug intoxication deaths is leveling off,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill.
Find out what's happening in New Canaanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Related:
- DEA Bust Disrupts Major CT Fentanyl Network: Law Enforcement
- CT Heroin Epidemic: Interactive Map of Deaths by Town
- Traffic Stop Leads to $1 Million Drug Bust in Stratford
Deaths involving the powerful opioid fentanyl continue to rise at alarming rates. There were 83 deaths involving fentanyl between January and March, which would result in a projected total of 332 deaths. There were 188 deaths involving fentanyl in 2015 and 18 in 2012.
The drug is legally prescribed as a pain reliever, but the majority of overdose deaths in Connecticut have been from clandestine sources. It is commonly used to make heroin more potent.
A Drug Enforcement Agency task force recently made nine arrests and seized 2.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl along with large quantities of other drugs. Fentanyl was purchased from China over the darknet, an online network only accessible with certain software, according to the U.S. Attorney District of Connecticut office.
Heroin, morphine and/or codeine was detected in 119 deaths between January and March in the state.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner anticipates releasing town-specific overdose death data by the end of next week.
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