The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released recent data that more than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020.That’s a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths projected for 2019. As in recent years, opioid use was linked to most of these deaths. The NCHS reported that of those 93,000 deaths, 69,710 deaths were from opioids. That is an alarmingly large increase as well, from 50,963 deaths in 2019.

In Cortland County, preliminary data from the New York State Department of Health indicates that there were 8 opioid-related overdose fatalities in 2020, a decrease from 9 in 2019. However, this data is subject to change as additional information is reported and official 2020 fatal overdose numbers could increase. According to data from some local law enforcement agencies, overdose complaints related to all substances increased by 21.4% from 2019 to 2020. When looking at total opioid-related overdoses (fatal and nonfatal), there was a slight increase from 33 overdoses in 2019 to 34 in 2020. One regional opioid-related treatment provider saw a 24.8% increase in Cortland County patients receiving treatment for opioid-related issues from 2019 to 2020.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, spoke on the increase, saying:

“This has been an incredibly uncertain and stressful time for many people and we are seeing an increase in drug consumption, difficulty in accessing life-saving treatments for substance use disorders, and a tragic rise in overdose deaths.”

Locally, as in other parts of the country, there was disruption in treatment services with agencies being closed to the public and a transition to virtual or tele appointment. As was found in the Opioid Needs Assessment, Cortland County has one of the lowest buprenorphine prescription rates in the Central New York and Southern Tier regions. Our county is currently missing inpatient, detoxification, and low-threshold buprenorphine treatment options, forcing some residents to travel outside the county for some treatment services. COVID-19 exacerbated these already existing issue, but has also eased access for some through tele-services. 

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, points out that the strategy that was used for dealing with COVID-19 should be in some ways mirrored in our dealing with the overdose crisis. He highlights the sense of urgency and strategy that is needed in order to save lives with the opioid overdose crisis. He notes:

“If you think about how the country has made progress on COVID since there was a clear national strategy that included goals and good data and evidence for critical projects – I think that kind of approach is important here. The same kind of urgency and strategy that has been applied to COVID could produce results over time.”

Cortland County is currently part of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS). Scientists from the nation’s leading health agencies and four major academic institutions are partnering with 68 communities in 4 states to test a set of interventions to combat the opioid crisis. The ambitious HEALing Communities Study aims to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent over 3 years in participating communities. Cortland County is Wave 2 community and will begin implementation in Summer 2022. We are hopeful and optimistic about the impact this will have on our community, and communities across the country! 

This news coincides with our planning of a Candlelight Vigil for Overdose Awareness Day of August 31. This year is the 20th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day. In honor of families and friends in our community that have lost someone due to a drug overdose, Prevention Network of CNY, Healing Hearts Collaborative, & Healing Cortland are hosting a Candlelight Vigil on Tuesday, August 31 at 7pm at Courthouse Park, Cortland.

As part of the event, we will have 256 shoes on display in recognition of the number of people lost to drug overdose each day in the US. Help us reach our goal by donating a pair (or multiple) of shoes. Find more information on the event and how to donate your shoes, here.

Read more about this in the July 25th Cortland Standard Article, “Cortland on pace to break overdose, fatality records.”

***Some national information was pulled directly from the CNN article, “Drug overdose deaths in 2020 hit highest number ever recorded, CDC data shows.”