PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Department of Public Health published the latest CHART newsletter on the effects of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia. The Medical Examiner’s Office reported 1,217 unintentional drug overdose deaths in Philadelphia in 2017, which is 34% more than were recorded in 2016. Toxicology testing showed that opioids were present in 88% of overdose deaths. The synthetic opioid fentanyl and fentanyl analogs were found in 846 deaths, a 95% increase from 2016, making fentanyl by far the most deadly drug involved in overdoses. Opioid-related overdose death rates rose for all demographic groups; the largest rises were found among men (60% rise over 2016), Hispanics (60% rise over 2016) and people aged 35-44 years old (65% rise over 2016). Overdose deaths were found in all areas of the city, with new hotspots noted in South Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia. Epidemiologists found that there was very little difference in the geographic distribution of where opioid-related overdose deaths happened and where victims lived, and that 75% of opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in a personal residence. The full report can be read on the Health Department’s Medium page, or downloaded from their website.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, “We are experiencing a tragedy far surpassing the AIDS epidemic at its worst. This crisis has happened because of decades of over-prescribing of opioids, combined today with the delivery to Philadelphia’s streets of cheap, pure heroin and fentanyl. We must turn this crisis around by getting physicians to prescribe opioids less, helping people who are addicted to opioids get treatment, and using the antidote naloxone to prevent fatal overdoses.”
The City of Philadelphia has dedicated significant resources to combating the opioid crisis, starting with the establishment of the Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in Philadelphia in 2016. The Task Force produced a report that made 18 recommendations (PDF) on how to combat the crisis. The March 2018 Task Force Recommendations Implementation Report (PDF) shows that 17 of the 18 recommendations are currently in some form of being implemented. City officials are currently conducting a series of community meetings to discuss the recommendation on exploring the possibility of establishing a Comprehensive User Engagement Site, or CUES.
The CHART newsletter also contained perhaps one hint of good news. Drops in overdose deaths were found in both the third- and fourth-quarter of 2017 from the high in the second-quarter. The reports notes that the cause for this drop is unknown, but submits it could be due to large-scale drug seizures and arrests by law enforcement, closure of the Conrail encampment in 2017, or increases in naloxone distribution. It is also unknown if this drop has continued. The full report can be read on the Health Department’s Medium page, or downloaded from their website.