Opioid Deaths Drop in Bay State

The Boston Globe reported that opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts declined by an estimated 5{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period last year, a strong indication that the state’s opioid crisis has started to abate.

The Globe cited the state Department of Public Health’s quarterly report of opioid statistics, showing that 978 deaths attributed to opioids occurred in the first six months of 2017, down from 1,031 over the same period in 2016.

But, while deaths are down, the paper noted, it is not clear if fewer people are overdosing. Nor is it clear whether the death rate will continue to decline.