66 fatal overdoses confirmed in NH this year, more deaths pending testing

Olivia Belanger, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.

May 15—At least 66 deaths this year have been attributed to drug overdoses in New Hampshire, with another 62 possible drug deaths awaiting the results of toxicology testing, according to data released Friday by the chief medical examiner's office.

As in previous years, fentanyl was involved in most of the confirmed drug deaths. Twenty-nine of the deaths involved the synthetic opioid alone, and an additional 25 involved fentanyl in combination with at least one other drug.

Opioids other than fentanyl and heroin were involved in five confirmed drug deaths, according to state statistics.

New Hampshire's number of fatal overdoses skyrocketed starting in 2013 and 2014 as part of a nationwide epidemic. Fatal overdoses in the Granite State peaked in 2017, with a confirmed total of 490. These numbers dropped two years in a row in 2018 and 2019, with 471 and 415 confirmed drug deaths, respectively.

So far, 415 deaths in 2020 have been confirmed to have been caused by drugs, and three are still pending toxicology testing.

The Doorway — a referral hub for people to get help with substance use disorders — is at 24 Railroad St. in Keene and is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Support through the state's 24/7 hotline is available at 211.

Olivia Belanger can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or obelanger@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBelangerKS.