More people than ever before are dying from drug overdoses in Philadelphia, including in Black and brown communities.
For the fourth consecutive year, the city saw an uptick in overdose deaths. 1,413 people died in 2022, according to a new report released Monday.
“The fact that this crisis is spreading across the city and moving into Black and Hispanic neighborhoods like never before is heartbreaking,” Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said in a statement. “For those who mistakenly thought that this was a problem contained within Kensington, these data show that is not the case.”
While the single highest number of overdose deaths by city zip code — 193 deaths — occurred in the Kensington and Harrowgate neighborhoods, other areas in West and North Philly saw at least 50 fatalities or more.
Data shows that the most severe increases in fatal overdoses occurred among Black and Hispanic residents — a trend being seen nationally.
There was a 20% increase in fatal overdoses among Black people in 2022 compared to the previous year, data shows. Deaths climbed by about 11% and 2% among Hispanic and white residents, respectively.Officials said a “growing threat” of drugs containing a combination of opioids and stimulants is behind more deadly overdoses.
Fentanyl and its analogs continue to dominate the city’s street drug supply, present in 80% of overdose deaths. Xylazine, an anesthetic medication for animals and known as “tranq” when combined with opioid drugs, was found in 34% of all Philadelphia overdose deaths last year.
The city outlined a list of ongoing and upcoming plans to reduce fatal overdoses and address the addiction crisis:
- Target neighborhoods impacted by deadly opioid and stimulant use.
- Prioritize harm reduction methods like naloxone and fentanyl test strips distribution, overdose reversal training, and wound care.
- Increase the availability of treatment medications for opioid use disorder in primary care offices, jails, and other treatment programs.
However, many harm reduction workers and addiction medicine specialists say these methods are not enough to stem the tide of overdose deaths year after year.
From WHYY
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