Number of suspected opioid ODs in Nashua nearly doubled from April to May

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

Jun. 13—The number of suspected opioid overdoses nearly doubled in Nashua from April to May, according to a report released by American Medical Response Ambulance Service (AMR).

Data show that there were six likely opioid related deaths — all occurring in Nashua — in May, pending verification from the Office of the N.H. Chief Medical Examiner.

Preliminary data shows Nashua has experienced 25 likely opioid-related deaths during the first five months of 2022.

"That is an alarming number of deaths for this point in the year," AMR Regional Director Chris Stawasz said in a statement. "Nashua is currently on pace to reach 60 likely opioid-related deaths in 2022, which would be the highest annual amount since the opioid epidemic began in 2015."

There were 30 likely opioid-related deaths in Nashua in 2021, Stawasz said.

There were 79 suspected opioid overdoses in Nashua and Manchester in May. AMR medics responded to 53 suspected opioid ODs in Manchester and 26 in Nashua.

Manchester's overdose numbers dropped slightly from 57 reported in April, while Nashua nearly doubled from April to May, climbing from 14 overdoses to 26.

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics recently released figures showing a record 107,622 drug overdose deaths nationally in 2021, a 14.9% increase from the 93,655 overdose deaths reported in 2020.

Prescription painkillers and heroin may have fueled the country's overdose epidemic over the last decade, but the synthetic opioid fentanyl is behind the majority of overdose deaths these days, officials report.

Overdose deaths from fentanyl rose from 57,834 in 2020 to 71,238 last year, the CDC reports.

Illicit fentanyl is behind the surge of overdose deaths, officials said.

"AMR medics continue to see and hear reports that many suspected opioid overdose patients believed they were not specifically using opioids, and were surprised that they overdosed on an opioid," said Stawasz in an email. "This follows a national trend of synthetic fentanyl routinely being found in almost all types of illicit street drugs including cocaine and marijuana."

Nationally, stimulants like methamphetamine were found in 32,856 overdose deaths and cocaine in 24,538 deaths, officials report.

Experts say the illicitly manufactured fentanyl gets mixed with cocaine, methamphetamine and counterfeit prescription opioids, then is sold on the street.

"There is no safe illicit drug," said Stawasz in an email. "Users should bear in mind that it is highly likely there is some quantity of synthetic fentanyl in virtually any substance that they are using including Adderall and other pill form drugs.

Users should not use alone, should have Narcan readily available and in New Hampshire can seek addiction treatment to prevent death by accessing the NH Doorway program."

The NH Doorway program can be accessed by calling 2-1-1 24 hours a day, seven days a week.