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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Deaths due to overdose decreased throughout the state last year, but this was not the case in some parts of the west. of Massachusetts.
The Department of Public Health found that overdose deaths had decreased slightly across the state, but that these deaths had doubled in parts of western Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recorded a 1% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2018, most of them being related to fentanyl. But the counties of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin all recorded a significant increase in the number of drug-related deaths last year.
"I'm not a notorious delusional addict," said Jessie Estello of Greenfield, "I went there, I did it.But you know what?" Other people need help I am 53 years old, trust me, I'm busy doing business, but others are not like me, they need help.
From 2017 to 2018, the study found a 144% increase in the number of overdose deaths in Franklin County, 84% in Hampshire County and nearly 30% in Hampden County.
The study also broke down deaths city by city. They found that 108 overdoses occurred in Springfield in 2018, but only 80 people came from Springfield.
"The numbers are a little skewed," said Ryan Walsh, spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department. "So, if anyone came to Baystate or Mercy and died here in town, those numbers would be accounted for by the city of Springfield."
Walsh said that the number of overdoses from the department does not match that of DPH.
"Obviously, there is a heroin epidemic, there is an opioid crisis," added Walsh. "We see it, we only see trends of this type. The figures available to our crime analysts do not reflect this trend. "
The Springfield police started transporting Narcan two months ago. Walsh said the officers had already saved 10 people with the drug until now.
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