NYS opioid deaths decline; preliminary figures show steep decrease on Long Island, too

Fatal overdoses dropped nearly 32% statewide in 2024, exceeding a nationwide decline in drug-related fatalities, as prevention and education programs, along with the wide-scale availability of Narcan, appears to have helped turn the tide in the region’s decades-long fight against the scourge of opioids, new data released Tuesday shows.

And while the precise number of opioid deaths on Long Island last year are not yet final, preliminary data provided by state and county officials show steep declines in both Nassau and Suffolk.

Preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics show an estimated 4,567 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose last year, down from 6,688 in 2023. Roughly 77% of all overdose deaths in 2024 involved an opioid, such as heroin or fentanyl, state officials said.

"These numbers are further validation of our commitment to investing in real solutions which address the negative impacts of the opioid epidemic," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "We continue to expand and enhance services across the state, ensuring New Yorkers in need can access these lifesaving resources."

Long Island, once at the forefront of the opioid epidemic, has seen its overdose numbers decline in recent years.

The Suffolk Medical Examiner's Office said there were 463 fatal overdoses in 2023, an 11.4% drop from 524 deaths in 2022.

Data compiled by the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports or OASAS, however, lists 500 fatal overdoses in 2023. Dr. Odette Hall, Suffolk's medical examiner, said the county's data does not include suicides or homicides involving drugs or undetermined  causes of death where drugs may be a contributing factor while state data does include those categories.

While overdose death figures for 2024 in Suffolk are not final, early statistics show declines.

There were a 311 confirmed opioid fatalities in Suffolk last year while another 31 deaths remain under investigation, according to data from the medical examiner. Even if all 31 deaths under investigation are linked to drug overdoses, Suffolk would still have a 26.1% year-to-year decline.

"The decrease in overdose deaths is extremely encouraging and evident that our collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners to target major drug traffickers is making a substantive difference," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "We will continue to focus on data-driven strategies to address the opioid epidemic while also taking measures to educate the public about its dangers."

Nassau officials did not respond to requests for data on overdose deaths in 2024.

But rolling estimates compiled by the CDC show 179 overdose fatalities in Nassau for the 12-month period ending in September, a 22% drop from the 230 deaths the year before.

Jeff Reynolds, president and chief executive of the Family & Children’s Association in Garden City, credits the drop in overdose deaths, in part, to the widespread availability of Narcan, the lifesaving nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, and improved treatment options for addicts.

"The widespread distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips, along with better access to treatment and recovery services is finally beginning to pay off, but this shouldn’t give lawmakers or anyone else license to scale back our efforts," Reynolds said. "That fewer people are dying is a sign of progress and means the world to families who won’t have to plan funerals for their loved ones. But one overdose or fentanyl poisoning is too many."

State officials also point to a new OASAS online ordering portal that allows residents to obtain Narcan and fentanyl and xylazine test strips for free.

Nationwide, there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths last year — the lowest total since 2019 — compared to 110,037 deaths in 2023, CDC officials said last week. The 26.9% decline was the largest one-year drop recorded in U.S. history, officials said.

Despite the progress, addiction experts said the epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives on Long Island since the late 1990s is far from over.

"It's not time to take our foot off the gas," said Steve Chassman, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence. "When you're talking about fatal poisonings and overdoses, it's not just individuals. These are families that are forever altered. There's still a tremendous amount of families across the state and across the country who are being impacted."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.