The first three months of 2020 shows opioid-related overdose deaths continuing a steady decline in Massachusetts.
The number of opioid-deaths dropped by 5.7% in the first quarter of 2020 when compared to the first quarter of 2019. The number of individuals who died reduced by 28 to 467.
The report on the first quarter of 2020 is the first to have overlap with the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses being shut down and the associated stay-at-home advisory.
The peak of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts was 2016 when 2,102 individuals died. In 2019 data shows 2,015 confirmed and estimated opioid-related deaths.
