Health & Fitness
Boston Drug Overdose Deaths Dropped Considerably In 2024
The city has seen promising decreases among its most vulnerable groups as well as overall.
BOSTON, MA — The city’s Public Health Commission revealed new data that shows drug overdose deaths have decreased 38% in 2024 from 2023, with a total of 169.
In addition, the BPHC mortality rate fell 59% for black men and 52% for Latino men.
The Center For Disease Control reports that 80,000 people died of overdoses last year. The Boston overdoses account for approximately 5 to 10% of the entire state.
The BPHC attributed the death decrease this past year to the organization’s effort to decrease the stigma of the substance use issue, increase access to naloxone, and encourage addiction treatment.
The city reportedly distributed 23,000 doses of Narcan last year.
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“One life lost to overdose is one life too many,” BPHC Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu said in a statement.
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