NJ on pace for lowest overdose deaths since pre-COVID, but officials fear a rebound

New Jersey is on pace for its lowest number of suspected drug overdose deaths in three years, signaling some relief from an opioid epidemic that was intensified by the stress and isolation of the COVID crisis.

Expanded treatment and recovery efforts have helped stem the tide, said North Jersey officials, who this week marked International Overdose Awareness Day with vigils in Hackensack, Morris Plains, Newton and elsewhere.

Still, New Jersey is on track to lose almost 3,000 lives this year to overdoses, and national numbers continue to climb. Local officials said they worry that amid the successes, the issue is once again slipping from Americans’ minds.

“Our nation seems to be accepting this terrible toll as a fact of life, and I’m not sure why,” Tayfun Selen, director of Morris County’s Board of Commissioners, said Wednesday at a ceremony at the county addiction center.

There were 1,476 suspected drug-related deaths in the state through the first six months of 2022, according to the state Attorney General's Office. The projected total for the yearof slightly less than 3,000 would be the lowest since 2019, which saw 2,914 deaths statewide. The numbers have been increasing each year, reaching 3,124 last year.

Nationwide, almost 108,000 Americans died from suspected overdoses in 2021, a jump of almost 15% from roughly 93,000 in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths involving opioids also increased, from an estimated 70,029 in 2020 to 80,816 in 2021.

“It’s no secret” that fatal overdoses have climbed during the pandemic, said state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, a Republican whose district covers parts of Morris and Somerset counties. The toll has risen across all ages, races and social classes, due to physical isolation and its effects on mental health, she said.

Wednesday's vigils featured several speakers who had lost family members and close friends to overdoses, or were in long-term recovery themselves. Newton residentMelissa Cecala spoke tearfully about the deaths of two friends and the father of her child. At one point, shethought she, too, would die from her opioid addiction, she said.

Cecala is now in recovery thanks to the efforts of the Newton-based Center for Prevention and Counseling and other addiction groups. Her journey has not been easy,she admitted,but her presence at the vigil offered proof that recovery is possible.

"One thing I know for sure is I will never give up, and I will continue to get better one day at a time," Cecala said. "I really thought I was going to die from this disease, but I'm still here, and I will not waste another moment of my life using."

"Help is out there," she continued. "You just need to ask for it."

At the Newton and Hackensack events, photos of those who had lost their lives to addiction lined the pathways to show the effects of the ongoing crisis. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office partnered with the Black Poster Project, which helps raise awareness of the epidemic as well as the prevention and recovery programs.

"As you walk through this lawn and you look at each of these faces, I hope that your resolve will be renewed and your commitment to our partnership strengthened," Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Wednesday, "and that together we can make sure no more posters need to be printed."

Despite the attention paid on Wednesday, officials warned that public concern appears to be waning.

In Morris County, Selen cited a Pew Research Center survey that found the percentage of Americans who identified drug addiction as a major problem in their local community declined from 42% in 2018 to 35% last year. In a separate poll conducted early this year, respondents ranked dealing with addiction the lowest of 18 priorities for the president and lawmakers to address.

There have been 71 suspected fatal overdoses in Morris County so far this year, a 16% decrease from last year, county Sheriff Jim Gannon said at the vigil.

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Sussex County recorded 17 suspected overdose deaths from January to June, according to state figures. That rate puts the county slightly ahead of its pace last year, which finished with 32 deaths. But it's well behind 2020, when there were 48 overdose deaths in Sussex County. The figure was 41 in 2019, according to state data.

Although the numbers are encouraging, Gannon cautioned that the downward trend can "change on a dime with a bad batch" of drugs. Still, he expressed optimism that initiatives such as the Hope One mobile outreach program, the Sussex County C.L.E.A.R. (Community Law Enforcement Addiction Recovery) program and Prevention is Key are making a difference.

Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Seabury called on the public to help by further reducing the stigma surrounding care for opioid use. He referred to data showing that 23.5 million Americans need help battling drug or alcohol addiction but only about 11% of those people actually seek out that treatment.

"We call this a disease, but yet as a nation, are we really treating it like one?" Seabury said. "Are we really looking at individuals that are suffering from drug use, from alcohol use, as patients? I'd suggest to you that we're not."

While there is still work to be done, efforts in recent years have led to more success stories from people fighting addiction, said state Sen. Tony Bucco, who moderated the Morris Plains event.

"It is our hope that promoting awareness and exchanging insight about the anguish, grief and challenges faced by those of us who lost someone dear to them will incite those who feel lost to seek help," Bucco said.

Kyle Morel covers Morris and Sussex counties.

Email: kmorel@njherald.com; Twitter: @KMorelNJH

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: NJ drug overdose deaths slow as opioid epidemic continues