A 'Public Health Emergency': Since January, New Haven County Has Seen 68 Fatal Opioid ODs

NEW HAVEN, CT - Since the beginning of the year, there have been 68 fatal overdoses in New Haven County. In all of 2024, 72 New Haveners died from drug overdoses, the overwhelming majority from opioids, state health data shows.

To call it a crisis is not hyperbole. Just ask the New Haven-based APT Foundation.

"This is a public health emergency," APT Foundation President and CEO Dr. Lynn Madden said, "That we already have the tools to fix."

In response to the “urgent overdose and opioid crisis,” APT just launched its Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment, Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Works campaign.

Kicked off last week, APT’s "bold" public awareness campaign advocates for “immediate access to life-saving care for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder." It’s using billboards spread across New Haven County, digital ads, and an animated video on its website and social channels, "urging swift action to eliminate treatment delays."

"Every day, someone in Connecticut dies waiting for treatment that could have started today," Madden said. "This campaign is about sending a clear message: no more waiting, no more barriers."

The APT Foundation’s mission is to promote health and recovery for individuals living with substance use disorders and/or mental illness by providing “low-barrier, evidence-based treatment.” APT serves more than 8,000 people a year at its five New Haven clinical sites, including at 1 Long Wharf.

According to a joint study by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control released in 2023, over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. More than 70 percent of those deaths involved opioids. But less than one in five people with opioid use disorder get the medication they need.

More than two million Americans are currently living with OUD, and opioid-related deaths are outpacing traffic and firearm fatalities.

APT describes itself as a "leader in the Open Access Model," reducing treatment wait times from weeks to hours. APT partners with the Connecticut Department of Corrections to reach justice-involved populations. It also engages in cutting-edge research supported by the NIH and regularly hosts community forums and overdose prevention training to raise awareness and expand access to care.

Public awareness campaign: Urgency, Access, Dignity

The Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment campaign reframes OUD care as urgent medical care, not only a long-term rehabilitation issue. The campaign calls on healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public to recognize that timely access to medication for opioid use disorder—like methadone and buprenorphine—can prevent deaths, support recovery, and reduce harm immediately.

The campaign’s priorities include:

• Same-day access to methadone and buprenorphine; no more waitlists or unnecessary appointments.
• Opioid use disorder screening and treatment protocols across healthcare systems
• Public education to reduce stigma, including provider outreach

The APT Foundation has operated one of the state’s "most accessible" opioid use disorder medication programs for more than 50 years. The clinic locations open as early as 5 a.m., accept walk-ins, and offer same-day access to treatment without lengthy intake processes.

"I knew I’d get help that day—that’s why I came here, and why I stayed,” a patient shared. “No judgment. Just treatment."

But despite APT’s success, "systemic delays, regulatory hurdles, and cultural stigma still keep many from timely care, with tragic consequences," according to the Foundation.

"We don’t delay treatment for strokes or heart conditions," Madden said. "Opioid use disorder is just as urgent. We need to treat it that way."