Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island community leaders are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature to support efforts they believe have contributed to a nearly 50% decrease in fatal overdoses in the borough. The Staten Island Fentanyl and Overdose Task Force will reveal its legislative agenda during a news conference Wednesday hosted by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon at his office in St. George. While community leaders hailed the overdose decrease as a “powerful turning point” in the borough’s fight against addiction, several cautioned that work still needs to be done. The decline in overdose deaths on Staten Island follows years of multi-pronged efforts by the task force representing a wide range of government agencies, nonprofit groups and health organizations combatting the drug crisis. The task force met seven times between March and October. In its report, it will reveal the latest trends in drug trafficking, substance abuse, law enforcement, overdose trends, addiction treatment and prevention. McMahon and Borough President Vito Fossella founded the task force in September 2023 amid a raging overdose epidemic fueled mainly by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Staten Island is leading New York City with the steepest percent decline in fatal drug overdoses among the five boroughs. Deaths from accidental drug overdoses plummeted by about 49% for Island residents last year, from 157 in 2023 to 81, according to the latest statistics by the city Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. Staten Island had the fourth highest rate of overdose deaths in the five boroughs last year, falling from the second highest in 2023. The borough saw 76 fewer deaths last year, with the rate dropping from 40.2 to 20.7 per 100,000 residents, according to the Health Department. Consistent with national trends, unintentional overdose deaths tumbled 28% last year citywide, with decreases occurring in all five boroughs, according to reports. However, it has been reported that overdose continues to be the leading cause of premature death citywide, claiming the lives of nearly 20,000 people since 2016, with overdoses killing mostly men and boys, who comprised 77% of such victims citywide last year.
