New York City overdoses are at an all-time high.Photo:GettyNew York City is in the throes of an opioid crisis, with fatal drug overdoses reaching historically high levels.Last year, there were 3,026 fatal overdoses — an increase of 12% over the previous year, according to data released from the city’sDepartment of Health.Fentanyl was involved in 81% of those fatal overdoses.Although it’s legally prescribed for people in extreme pain (from surgery or late-stage cancer), the synthetic opioid is “up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,”the CDC says. The agency points out that its “extreme potency” makes it cheaper, more addictive, and “more dangerous,” and often is abused in liquid or powder form, or made into pills that resemble legal opioids.The drug was involved in the deaths ofPrince,Mac MillerandTom Petty— and hasa long history of abuse.Fentanyl in pill form.GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“This crisis is killing a New Yorker every three hours and is impacting every individual and family in our city and in our nation,” the city’sHealth Commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said in a statement.Among the deaths: One-year-oldNicholas Dominici,who, along with three other children, came into contact with the opioid at his Bronx daycare. The other children were hospitalized following the exposure; all of them were given Narcan.Narcan is the brand name for Naloxone, which can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, according to theNational Institute on Drug Abuse.It can be given as a nasal spray or an injection — and in response to the opioid crisis in New York, the city began rolling out vending machines that offer the medication for free.“Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like naloxone in their hands,”Vasan said in a statement. “We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city.”Narcan available in a vending machine.Scott Olson/GettyAnd on Monday, the city’s Department of Health advised all New Yorkers to “carry naloxone and know how to use it.”Of the five boroughs, The Bronx had the highest rate of overdoses, with Staten Island coming in second.To combat the epidemic, officials in Staten Island point to the Hotspotting Program, which uses an MIT-developed algorithm to identify individuals who could be at risk of an overdose, such as people who abandoned treatment programs.
New York City overdoses are at an all-time high.Photo:Getty
Getty
New York City is in the throes of an opioid crisis, with fatal drug overdoses reaching historically high levels.Last year, there were 3,026 fatal overdoses — an increase of 12% over the previous year, according to data released from the city’sDepartment of Health.Fentanyl was involved in 81% of those fatal overdoses.Although it’s legally prescribed for people in extreme pain (from surgery or late-stage cancer), the synthetic opioid is “up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,”the CDC says. The agency points out that its “extreme potency” makes it cheaper, more addictive, and “more dangerous,” and often is abused in liquid or powder form, or made into pills that resemble legal opioids.The drug was involved in the deaths ofPrince,Mac MillerandTom Petty— and hasa long history of abuse.Fentanyl in pill form.GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“This crisis is killing a New Yorker every three hours and is impacting every individual and family in our city and in our nation,” the city’sHealth Commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said in a statement.Among the deaths: One-year-oldNicholas Dominici,who, along with three other children, came into contact with the opioid at his Bronx daycare. The other children were hospitalized following the exposure; all of them were given Narcan.Narcan is the brand name for Naloxone, which can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, according to theNational Institute on Drug Abuse.It can be given as a nasal spray or an injection — and in response to the opioid crisis in New York, the city began rolling out vending machines that offer the medication for free.“Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like naloxone in their hands,”Vasan said in a statement. “We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city.”Narcan available in a vending machine.Scott Olson/GettyAnd on Monday, the city’s Department of Health advised all New Yorkers to “carry naloxone and know how to use it.”Of the five boroughs, The Bronx had the highest rate of overdoses, with Staten Island coming in second.To combat the epidemic, officials in Staten Island point to the Hotspotting Program, which uses an MIT-developed algorithm to identify individuals who could be at risk of an overdose, such as people who abandoned treatment programs.
New York City is in the throes of an opioid crisis, with fatal drug overdoses reaching historically high levels.
Last year, there were 3,026 fatal overdoses — an increase of 12% over the previous year, according to data released from the city’sDepartment of Health.
Fentanyl was involved in 81% of those fatal overdoses.
Although it’s legally prescribed for people in extreme pain (from surgery or late-stage cancer), the synthetic opioid is “up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,”the CDC says. The agency points out that its “extreme potency” makes it cheaper, more addictive, and “more dangerous,” and often is abused in liquid or powder form, or made into pills that resemble legal opioids.
The drug was involved in the deaths ofPrince,Mac MillerandTom Petty— and hasa long history of abuse.
Fentanyl in pill form.Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“This crisis is killing a New Yorker every three hours and is impacting every individual and family in our city and in our nation,” the city’sHealth Commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said in a statement.
Among the deaths: One-year-oldNicholas Dominici,who, along with three other children, came into contact with the opioid at his Bronx daycare. The other children were hospitalized following the exposure; all of them were given Narcan.
Narcan is the brand name for Naloxone, which can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, according to theNational Institute on Drug Abuse.It can be given as a nasal spray or an injection — and in response to the opioid crisis in New York, the city began rolling out vending machines that offer the medication for free.
“Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like naloxone in their hands,”Vasan said in a statement. “We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city.”
Narcan available in a vending machine.Scott Olson/Getty
Scott Olson/Getty
And on Monday, the city’s Department of Health advised all New Yorkers to “carry naloxone and know how to use it.”
Of the five boroughs, The Bronx had the highest rate of overdoses, with Staten Island coming in second.
To combat the epidemic, officials in Staten Island point to the Hotspotting Program, which uses an MIT-developed algorithm to identify individuals who could be at risk of an overdose, such as people who abandoned treatment programs.
source: people.com
