Worcester County opioid deaths drop 16%, as state has largest decline in 13 years

Photo | Flickr | K-State Research and Extension Prescription opioids

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While Massachusetts continues to struggle with the effects of the opioid epidemic, newly released data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows Worcester County experienced a 16% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths between 2022 and 2023.

Massachusetts as a whole experienced a 10% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023, marking the state’s largest decline in 13 years and giving healthcare officials hope the comprehensive efforts to rein in the opioid crisis are showing signs of progress after years of rising death tolls, according to a Wednesday press release from the DPH.

“While we are encouraged by the overall decrease in overdose deaths, this report also is a reminder of the work that we still need to do to bring deaths down for all people and all areas of the state,” Gov. Maura Healey said in the release. “Our administration remains committed to prioritizing prevention, treatment and recovery efforts to address the overdose crisis that continues to claim too many lives and devastate too many families in Massachusetts.”

Worcester County experienced 278 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023, down from 331 deaths in 2022.

Middlesex County, which includes the MetroWest area of Central Massachusetts and parts of Greater Boston area including Cambridge, experienced a 20.8% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths over the year with 301 deaths in 2023, down from 380 deaths in 2022.

The city of Worcester saw 130 residents die due to opioid-related overdoses in 2023, a 7.80% decrease from 2022 when the city had 141 resident deaths.

Worcester also saw a decrease in the number of deaths that occurred regardless of the residence of the decedent. In 2023 the city experienced 155 opioid-related overdose deaths compared to the 168 it had in 2022.

Fitchburg had 17 of its residents die due to opioid-related overdoses in 2023, down from 20 in 2022. The city also experienced a decrease in overdose deaths regardless of residence of the decedent over-the-year with 11 deaths in 2023 compared to 14 deaths in 2022.

Rates trended downward in Leominster where the city saw 11 of its residents die due to opioid-related overdoses in 2023, a 21.42% decrease from 2022 when 14 residents died.

Leominster saw a nearly 50% decrease from 27 deaths in 2022 to 14 deaths in 2023.

Gardner experienced a 33.33% over-the-year decrease in resident opioid-related overdose deaths, with 10 deaths in 2023, down from 15 in 2022.

Gardner also saw a decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths regardless of the residence of the decedent with 10 deaths in 2023, down from 13 deaths in 2022.

Overall, the DPH reported Black non-Hispanic residents continue to be disproportionately affected by opioid-related overdoses with the population experiencing an increase in opioid-related deaths from 80 per 100,000 in 2022 to 84.6 in 2023.

Both American Indian non-Hispanics and Black non-Hispanic men and women experienced the highest opioid-related overdose death rates in 2023 out of all racial/ethnic groups.

Contrastly, the opioid-related overdose death rate among white and non-Hispanic men decreased 16% over-the year from 48.2 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 40.4 in 2023.

Opioid-related overdose death data from 2022 to 2023 are preliminary and subject to updates, according to the DPH.