RELATED STORY ⇒ City Health Department says 2023 stats show how overdose prevention strategy is working
MANCHESTER, NH – Opioid-related fatalities dropped significantly in Manchester last year which is highly encouraging. After two years of significant increases in the number of suspected opioid overdoses in Manchester, the 2023 number was essentially unchanged from the previous year.
In New Hampshire anyone can seek substance use disorder treatment by accessing the NH Doorway program 24/7. To access the NH Doorway program, call 2-1-1 at any time of the day or night, or visit www.thedoorway.nh.gov. If you believe someone is overdosing call 9-1-1 immediately.
To help prevent death, it is critical that people who use illicit drugs do not use them alone and have Narcan readily available. Narcan is available throughout New Hampshire at most pharmacies. It is available free of charge from local public health departments & any NH Doorway location. It is completely safe and easy to administer. Narcan is now available over the counter, meaning it is available without a prescription.
2023 Statistics for Nashua and Manchester
Below are charts of suspected opioid OD statistics for Nashua & Manchester, NH for all of 2023.
I have also included charts of EMS responses to the three unhoused-persons shelters in Manchester. The charts illustrate the number of suspected opioid ODs and overall EMS demand at each location.
Summary: 2023 Nashua & Manchester Combined
- AMR medics responded to a total of 924 suspected opioid ODs in Nashua and Manchester.
- 697 in Manchester
- 227 in Nashua.
- That is a 2% reduction from 2022. (924 vs. 944)
- 99 of those OD calls were suspected opioid OD deaths.
- 60 were in Manchester.
- 39 were in Nashua.
- That is a 20% reduction from 2022 (99 vs. 123)
2023 Nashua
- Suspected opioid ODs were 7% lower. (227 vs. 243)
- Suspected fatal opioid ODs 11% lower. (39 vs.44)
- 17% of the suspected opioid ODs in Nashua were fatal.
- Suspected opioid ODs continued to drop for the second year in a row in Nashua and this past year suspected deaths dropped as well. The percentage of suspected opioid OD deaths compared to ODs continued to be almost double that of Manchester.
2023 Manchester
- Suspected opioid ODs were 1% lower. (697 vs. 701)
- Suspected fatal opioid ODs 24% lower. (60 vs.79)
- 8% of the suspected opioid ODs in Manchester were fatal.
