Drug overdose deaths have declined 27% in last 2 years in NYC

From Thaindian News on March 2, 2010

A new Health Department report informed that drug overdose deaths have declined 27% in two years, the lowest level in New York City since 1999. The New York City Health Department announced on Monday.

Despite the fall in the drug-related fatalities, drug overdose still remains as the third leading cause of premature death among New Yorkers between 25 to 34 years old. Survey data also informs that nearly a million New Yorkers used illicit drugs during the last year.

Marijuana is the city’s most commonly used illicit drug, but most of the severe health consequences result from cocaine and opioids, which include heroin and pain relievers. Nearly a tenth of hospital admissions are drug related. Cocaine is the leading cause of drug-related emergency-department visits and hospitalizations, followed by heroin and other opioids; but opioids are involved in more fatalities.

The reason for the decline in overdose deaths isn’t clear. Some initiatives may have influenced, such as the law established in 2006 to distribute naloxone within high-risk populations. Naloxone is a highly effective antidote to opioid overdose that can be life-saving when administered promptly.