NJ Sees 733 Percent Increase In Meth Overdose Deaths, Officials Say

NEW JERSEY — The number of people dying from methamphetamine use in New Jersey has risen sharply over the past decade, officials said in a recent presentation on the synthetic stimulant's effect on residents.

The methamphetamine death rate in New Jersey rose 733 percent between 2015 and 2019 — the highest rate of increase in the country, second only to Ohio. Fentanyl was also a factor in 79 percent of meth-related deaths in New Jersey for 2020, and officials say another substance mixed in with the meth often causes more severe reactions.

Methamphetamine-related deaths have risen the most in New Jersey's southern counties, particularly Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, and Burlington counties according to research presented at Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day on May 25. Featured presenters were Chief State Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew L. Falzon and Dr. Rachel Haroz, who is an associate professor at Cooper Medical School and Medical Director at the Center for Healing.

In 2020, 187 people in New Jersey died of a methamphetamine-related cause, and officials provided more in-detail statistics about these victims. Of these people, 76 percent were white, and 70 percent were male. Furthermore, deaths related to meth occurred most often in people between the ages of 31 and 50 (105 people).

View more details in the presentation here.