AMR says May 'particularly deadly' for overdoses in Manchester, Nashua
AMR medics responded to a total of 43 suspected opioid overdoses in Nashua and Manchester last month — 31 in Manchester and 12 in Nashua.
Eleven of those incidents were fatal; nine in Manchester, two in Nashua.
Chris Stawasz, regional director of AMR, said 11 deaths in one month are nearly twice the average of monthly deaths reported over the past year.
'October 2023 was the last time we observed a double-digit loss of life in a single month between the two cities,' Stawasz said in a statement. Twenty-six percent of the suspected opioid ODs AMR medics responded to in May were fatal, data shows.
An Overdose Response Strategy Situational Awareness Bulletin from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued June 6 reported a surge in both fatal and non-fatal overdoses across Connecticut, Stawasz said.
According to the bulletin, between May 16 and June 6 there were 61 suspected fatal overdoses statewide in Connecticut, with 'noticeable clustering' along the I-91 and I-95 corridors and in the cities of New Haven and Hartford.
'That Connecticut surge seems to correlate to the surge in deaths we experienced here in Nashua and Manchester,' Stawasz said. 'The bulletin suggests that polysubstance combinations and higher concentrations of fentanyl may be contributing factors to the current spike in overdose deaths.'
May did continue the recent trend of lower overall opioid overdose totals in both communities, 16% below the rolling 12-month average, data shows.
Manchester continues to trend well below last year (down 34%) for total opioid overdoses and 13% below last year for suspected fatal overdoses. Nashua also continues to be trending lower in total opioid ODs (down 9%) but trends significantly higher (up 69%) in suspected opioid related deaths.
In 2024, Manchester and Nashua recorded the lowest number of overdoses in a year since the COVID pandemic. There were 710 suspected overdoses in Manchester and Nashua in 2024 — 526 of those occurred in Manchester, 184 in Nashua.
Sixty-six overdoses were fatal in 2024 — 46 in Manchester, 20 in Nashua. Nashua recorded both the lowest number of suspected opioid overdoses and lowest number of suspected opioid deaths in one year since AMR began tracking the data in 2015.
'Keep in mind that due to the nature of the opioid epidemic and its clear history of unpredictability, it is always possible that the trend of lower numbers could quickly change — as evidenced this month,' Stawasz said. 'These seemingly marked statistical improvements by no means signal that the opioid epidemic is 'under control' or close to elimination. With Narcan now widely available and free, it is highly likely that many overdoses are continuing to occur, but without 911 intervention.'
According to AMR, of the 43 suspected opioid overdoses reported in May in both Manchester and Nashua, 53% occurred in a home or residence, 21% happened in a public building or area and 9% were in vehicles or in a roadway. Five percent were in a jail or prison. Two percent occurred in a hotel or motel.
In 21% of the overdoses, a bystander or member of the public administered Narcan before EMS personnel arrived.
Overall, 42% of those involved in suspected opioid overdoses gave no fixed address or said they were homeless.
Of the 43 suspected overdoses in both cities, 58% were males, 42% females. The majority of victims, 72%, were Caucasian.
Ninety-three percent of overdose response calls involved a first encounter with an individual and 7% involved repeat encounters.
In New Hampshire, anyone can seek substance use disorder treatment by accessing the N.H. Doorway program 24/7. To access the N.H. Doorway program, call 211 at any time of the day or night, or visit www.thedoorway.nh.gov.
If you believe someone is overdosing, call 911 immediately.
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