Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island is leading New York City in combatting fatal overdoses amid a fentanyl crisis, according to statistics released by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Here are five key takeaways from an original article by the Advance/SILive.com. 1. Staten Island achieves significant drop in fatal ODs Staten Island is substantially outpacing New York City’s other boroughs in combating fatal drug overdoses, marking a significant reversal of a devastating trend. According to the city’s Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, the borough saw a staggering 49% plummet in accidental overdose deaths in the last year, with fatalities dropping from 157 in 2023 to 81 in 2024. This dramatic reduction has lowered Staten Island from having the second-highest overdose death rate in the city to the fourth. The rate of such deaths per 100,000 residents was nearly halved, dropping from 40.2 to 20.7. This steep decline is described as “unprecedented” and provides a beacon of hope for a community heavily impacted by the opioid crisis. 2. The entire city is seeing a decline, but challenges remain While Staten Island’s success is the most pronounced, the positive trend extends across all five boroughs. Citywide, unintentional overdose deaths fell by 28% last year, a decrease that the Health Department called unprecedented after nearly a decade of continuous increases. In total, 2,192 people died from unintentional drug poisonings, down from 3,056 the previous year. Despite this progress, overdose continues to be the leading cause of premature death in New York City, having claimed nearly 20,000 lives since 2016. The data also shows that men and boys are disproportionately affected, accounting for 77% of all overdose victims citywide last year. 3. Racial disparities persist despite overall improvements Even as overdose deaths decline, a stark racial disparity remains. Black and Latino New Yorkers continue to be the most severely impacted by the overdose epidemic. Although these communities saw their first decrease in overdose death rates since 2018, their rates remain approximately twice as high as those for white New Yorkers. The progress is also uneven geographically, with the Bronx experiencing the city’s lowest decline in overdose death rates at just 24%. This highlights that the benefits of recent successes are not being distributed equally across all communities, and more targeted efforts are needed to address these inequities. 4. Fentanyl and cocaine remain the primary drivers of overdose deaths The driving force behind the crisis, fentanyl, continues to be the most common substance found in overdose deaths, though its prevalence has slightly decreased. Last year, the powerful synthetic opioid was involved in 73% of all fatal overdoses, compared to 80% in the previous year. Cocaine is also a major contributor, being involved in 57% of overdose fatalities. The report also notes the emergence of even more deadly, lesser-known substances. Some are animal medications such as carfentanil, linked to 29 deaths, and medetomidine, implicated in 19 deaths, signaling the evolving and complex nature of the illicit drug supply. 5. A multi-pronged strategy and a cautious outlook are key The remarkable decline in deaths is attributed not to a single solution but to years of coordinated, multi-faceted efforts. These initiatives include the Richmond County District Attorney’s HOPE program, which diverts drug offenders to treatment instead of prison; widespread distribution of the life-saving drug naloxone; state-provided fentanyl test strips; and a push for safer prescribing practices among doctors. However, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon has previously warned against complacency. He emphasized that despite the positive data, the crisis is still a “raging epidemic” and that it is crucial for anti-addiction efforts to remain a top priority to prevent a reversal of this hard-won progress.
