Queens has NYC’s lowest opioid overdose rate, but crisis persists
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Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. Eagle photo by David Brand.
By David Brand
Queens recorded the fewest opioid overdoses in the city during the first three months of the year, according to state reports that detail both declining overdose rates and persistent problems across New York’s 62 counties.
In the first three months of 2019, at least 59 people overdosed on opioids in Queens, according to the most recent quarterly report published by the state in October. That total was down from 74 during the first three months of 2018, and 60 during the last three months of 2018. Opioids include heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers like oxycodone.
The Bronx recorded the most overdoses in the first three months of the year, with 114 . Brooklyn had 96, Manhattan had 80 and Staten Island had 74. But based on its total population, Staten Island had the highest rate of overdoses per 100,000 residents at 15.5.
Queens’ overdose rate in the first quarter of 2019 was 2.5 per 100,000 residents — the lowest in New York City.
Queens, the second most populous county in the state, has seen progress in decreasing the total number of overdoses in recent years, according to a report by the New York Heroin and Opioids Task Force. The borough recorded 378 opioid overdoses in 2017 and 315 in 2018 — a 15 percent decrease. Nevertheless, barriers to seeking treatment for opioid use persist in Queens and around the state.
“While we understand that much progress has been made, we know that we need to continue our work as we combat addiction in New York,” wrote Lt. Governor, Kathy Hochul and Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez, co-chairs of the task force.
“Progress is not consistent in every part of the state and our continued efforts are essential to making progress in every part of New York State,” Hochul and González-Sánchez continued
A total of 423 people overdosed on opioids in New York City during the first three months of the year, a rate of 5 people per 100,000 residents. The majority of those overdoses (266) were related to heroin use.
At least 2,280 people overdosed on opioids across the city last year.
Nonprofits and city agencies have partnered with local leaders to educate residents on how to identify someone who has overdosed on opioids, and providing training in the administration of naloxone — a medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose. Borough President Melinda Katz co-hosted one such event earlier this week.
“The use of opioids has led to a crisis in which drug overdoses kill more than 1,400 New Yorkers annually,” Katz said in a statement. “We can help stop this overdose epidemic by spreading the word on how naloxone can be safely and easily used to save the lives of those overdosing on opioids.
