NJ Overdose Deaths Shift Dramatically, New Data Shows

NEW JERSEY — For the first time in a decade, drug overdose deaths declined across all racial and ethnic groups in New Jersey between 2022 and 2023, new state data shows.

Fatalities among Black and Hispanic people had been steadily increasing from 2012 to 2022, and new data shows that the number of deaths in both of these groups declined in 2023.

Still, 2,800 people in New Jersey died of an unintentional overdose in 2023, down from 3,171 in 2022. Of these deaths, more than 2,300 were opioid-related. Substance use disorders also remain the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths, the health department said.

And, the overdose rate among Black residents is still twice as high as it is for white people in the state, data from the Department of Health shows.

Combating the opioid crisis

Health officials have been expanding harm reduction efforts to address the opioid addiction epidemic in the state, which they say has contributed to helping save lives. These efforts include providing access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone along with fentanyl test strips, sterile syringes and smoking supplies, and other resources to prevent overdoses and reduce the spread of infection.

"The reduction in overdose deaths coincides with our expanded harm reduction infrastructure, increased access to medications for opioid use disorder, and broader naloxone distribution," said New Jersey Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, MD.

The Department of Health said is on track to open its 53rd Harm Reduction Center, meaning there will be a center in all 21 counties. These community-based programs also provide safe supplies and testing materials, and also offer health care services, medications for opioid use disorder, and other basic needs.

Currently, 30 sites are active around the state — and preliminary data shows that over 5,800 people received assistance from Harm Reduction Centers in 2024, more than double the number served in 2023.

New Jersey is also set to receive more than $1 billion in settlement funds from lawsuits against drug manufacturers who were accused of fueling the opioid crisis. The state has already invested $120 million into programs to combat opioid addiction, officials said, including $24 million for the Harm Reduction Centers.

"By paying attention to the data and prioritizing harm reduction strategies over the past seven years, we have built a framework of supports to reduce the harms of substance use, streamline access to treatment, and support families in recovery,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement.

A closer look at the numbers

By age group, the highest number of over deaths occurred among people between the ages of 35 and 44, including 526 men and 174 women. The age group reporting the second-highest number of deaths was among those 55 to 64 years old: 480 men, and 181 women.

More than 200 people aged 65 and older died of an overdose in 2023, state data shows. And, men were far more likely to die of an overdose than women.

Among counties, Essex County saw the highest number of overdose deaths in 2023, with 459 — a decrease from 495 in 2022. Camden County reported the second-highest number of deaths (286, a decrease from 328 the previous year).