NASHUA, N.H. – American Medical Response (AMR), the ambulance service for Manchester, says that opioid deaths and overdoses reached pre-pandemic levels in their final 2022 report.
Suspected opioid overdoses increased 22 percent during 2022 compared to 2021 and deaths were up 41 percent on a year-by-year basis. Those annual figures were the highest in Manchester since 2016 and 2018, respectively. The total figure for deaths is subject to change per confirmation from the Office of the Chief New Hampshire Medical Examiner.
In a further breakdown of the current suspected overdoses, 42 percent were attributed to people with Manchester addresses and another 42 percent were attributed to people with no fixed address. A total of 51 percent of suspected overdose cases were attributed to people who had never experienced an overdose before and 77 percent were attributed to males, with an average age of 39.
A total of 1,851 milligrams of Narcan was also administered to individuals in Manchester suffering from opioid overdoses prior to the arrival of first responders over the past year, the highest figure since AMR began recording Narcan data.
Narcan, also known as Naxolone, is a medication commonly used to counter decreased breathing during opioid overdoses and can block the overall effects of opioid overdoses for 30 to 90 minutes.
According to AMR Northeast Regional Director of Government Affairs Chris Stawasz, this is believed to be due to synthetic fentanyl that is now being found in nearly all types of illicit substances, often without the knowledge of the user.
Anyone in New Hampshire can seek addiction treatment day or night through the NH Doorway Program, more information can be found by calling 2-1-1.
