Kavita M. Babu, MD is the Chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology and a Professor of Emergency Medicine. Her research interests include educational and research strategies for opioid safety and overdose prevention, compassionate care for patients with addiction, and advanced surveillance of emerging drugs of abuse.
That mismatch between EMS calls going down and the increase in Worcester resident deaths, I find that very concerning.
Opioid overdose deaths have hit a new peak in Massachusetts. Preliminary data from the state Department of Public Health (DPH) shows a 5% increase in 2020. That’s 102 more fatalities than in 2019. The 2,104 deaths are just above the previous high in 2016.The problem varies dramatically by race. Among black men, fatal overdoses are up 69%.