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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Current state of the overdose crisis in NYC
0:09:07
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83 sec
Linn-Walton provides an overview of the current overdose crisis in New York City, highlighting recent data and trends. She emphasizes the ongoing public health emergency and the department's strategic goal to reduce overdose deaths.
- Overdose deaths decreased by 1% in 2023, marking the first decline since 2018
- The first quarter of 2024 saw the lowest number of overdose deaths since 2020
- Despite some progress, the crisis remains severe with 3,046 overdose deaths in 2023
Rebecca Linn-Walton
0:09:07
Overdose deaths continue to be a public health crisis for every community in New York City.
0:09:12
Last month, testified at the Mental Health Committee on the health department's deployment of opioid settlement funds to address the crisis alongside our city and state partners.
0:09:22
I highlighted our strategic goal to reduce overdose deaths by twenty five percent by 02/1930.
0:09:28
This goal is central to Healthy NYC, the city's roadmap for increasing average life expectancy.
0:09:34
We are proud to have worked with the city council and health chair Shulman on codifying Healthy NYC into law last year with a unanimous vote.
0:09:42
I also described the data we produced to enable the city and community partners to make informed programmatic decisions and investments.
0:09:50
In October, we published the 2023 annual summary on overdose deaths.
0:09:55
The number of overdose deaths in 2023 was three thousand and forty six, a one percent decrease from 2022, marking the first decline since 2018.
0:10:06
Additionally, according to provisional data in 2024, there were six sixteen overdose deaths in the first quarter, the lowest quarter on record since 2020.
0:10:16
This is a welcome stabilization after years of continual increase.
0:10:21
These findings help us better understand what's working and where we need more investment.
0:10:26
There's still a tremendous amount of work ahead.
0:10:28
One overdose death is too many.