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NY drug deaths drop slightly, but racial disparities deepen. Black residents are hit hardest.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 17, 2024
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Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 17, 2024
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For the first time in four years, New York City did not break a new record for drug overdose deaths in 2023, according to new city data released Thursday.
But while overdose deaths are down among some groups of New Yorkers, the figures show there’s been little progress in the hardest-hit communities. Black New Yorkers are still recording high rates of overdose deaths and rates increased in some low-income communities, according to city data, which advocates say is a stark reminder that these communities need more resources.
The city recorded 3,046 overdose deaths in 2023, down 1% from the previous year's 3,070, according to the data. About 100 fewer white New Yorkers died of accidental drug overdoses in 2023 than in 2022, and the overdose death rate dropped 9% in the wealthiest city neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, Black New Yorkers were the most affected by the overdose crisis for the fourth consecutive year. Those over 55 were at the highest risk, according to the city's 2023 report. The drug fatality rate among Black New Yorkers remained relatively unchanged from 2022, at about 65 deaths per 100,000 people.
In the lowest-income neighborhoods, where people were already dying of overdoses at higher rates than in other parts of the city, the number of deaths went up in 2023. East Harlem and parts of the Bronx continued to shoulder the highest overdose death rates.
“A 1% decrease in drug overdose fatalities may not seem like a statistic worth celebrating to some — but those are still 24 fewer lives that were lost this past year, 24 families who still have their loved one around — and I believe that is a milestone worth recognizing,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “I commend the agencies, health care workers, and community-based organizations who have been working tirelessly to make life-saving resources available for people suffering from drug addiction.”
But some advocates say the deepening disparities in who is dying from drug overdoses in New York City should serve as a wake-up call.
“We celebrate the reduction [in overdose deaths] and that's never something to take lightly,” said Kristin Goodwin, associate vice president of integrated harm reduction at Harlem United, a group that provides services to drug users in Harlem and parts of the Bronx. “But also, it's clear that we're not meeting the needs of all of the people that use drugs in the city. And that's what we need to focus on.”
Goodwin said the city has already done a good job of broadly expanding access to naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses overdoses. But she said there’s a need for more overdose prevention centers — also known as supervised injection facilities — where people can use illicit drugs under staff supervision, so that someone can intervene at the first sign of an overdose.
There are currently just two such facilities operating in New York City. Both the city and state have declined to directly fund these services using public dollars, noting that they are still on shaky legal ground under federal law.
People who use risky street drugs would also benefit from more drug-checking programs where they can get their drugs tested to find out exactly what’s in them — including the amount of fentanyl that’s present, Goodwin said. The city health department launched a drug-checking pilot program in late 2021, but the service is still only available at a handful of locations, Goodwin said.
In 2023, the synthetic opioid fentanyl continued to drive overdose deaths, as it has for several years. But the sedative xylazine, which only started to emerge in the city’s drug supply a couple of years ago, was involved in nearly a third of overdose deaths. Many of those who died also had cocaine, alcohol or benzodiazepines in their system.
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new york city
public safety
Race And Justice Unit
Health and Science
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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