Three teenage girls are accused of attacking a woman in Boston’s South End earlier this week.
Officers responded to Huntington Avenue just before 6 p.m. Monday for a report of an assault and battery, Boston police said.
Police were told t…
Massachusetts
Mass. opioid overdose deaths declined 10% in 2023, state says
Massachusetts recorded a significant drop in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023, forging a potential turning point after the state’s fatality count hit a record high the previous year.
State officials say there were 2,125 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths last year, or 30.2 per 100,000 residents. That marks a 10% decline compared to 2022, when the epidemic claimed the lives of 2,357 Bay Staters, at a rate of 33.5 per 100,000.
The Public Health Council reviewed the data during its meeting Wednesday morning.
During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said the fatality rate decrease represents the “largest single year decline in opioid-related overdose deaths we’ve seen in 20 years.” The trend is expected to continue this year, based on initial data from the first three months of 2024, officials say.
Opioid-related overdose fatalities have exceeded 2,000 since 2016. The number of deaths in 2023 is greater than the 2,092 deaths in 2020; 2,007 deaths in 2019; 2,015 deaths in 2018 and 2017; and 2,111 deaths in 2016, according to state data.
“Every overdose death is tragic, preventable and unacceptable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh said in a statement. “While we are proud and encouraged that fewer Massachusetts residents were lost to overdose last year, we know that inequities persist, and our work is not done. Our understanding of where gaps in treatment and services occur, and the people who we are not yet reaching, drives our work and helps focus our efforts.”
Health officials said 48% of all opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023 occurred among individuals ages 25 to 44 years old, and 43% of deaths were among those ages 45 to 64. Men accounted for 72% of deaths.
Among cities and towns with “notable” decreases in deaths in 2023 compared to the prior year, DPH identified Brockton, Cambridge, Falmouth, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Pittsfield, Randolph, Waltham, and Wareham. But Holyoke and Taunton saw notable increases.
Goldstein attributed the declining fatality rate in 2023 to the state’s distribution of naloxone, a medication that reverses overdoses, as well as syringe service programs, an overdose prevention hotline, and a drug-checking program that allows officials to understand the lethality of the drug supply here.
More on the opioid crisis
“We have one of the best naloxone distribution programs in the country, and we have naloxone everywhere in every community, so that people can use it,” Goldstein said. “We have really pioneered the use of syringe service programs in this state, and to use a harm reduction lens in everything that is being done.”
DPH said it has distributed more than 196,500 naloxone kits, with each kit containing two doses, since 2023. The effort has led to at least 10,206 overdose reversals, officials said.
DPH said it has also distributed more than 504,000 free fentanyl test strip kits to providers and community organizations.
DPH in December released a report saying health officials were in support of overdose prevention centers, also known as supervised injection sites, where medical professionals are on hand to intervene in potential overdoses. Legislation creating a path for municipalities to open the centers is before the House and Senate Ways and Means committees.
Goldstein referenced the department’s report when asked about how legalizing the sites would impact the state’s overdose fatality rate.
“We highlighted in the report some very specific concerns we have about opening an OPC right now, and that was absent legal liability protections for providers, for those who use the services, and for those who maybe are operating around the services, things like landlords and other people who are in this space,” Goldstein said. “And so we continue to work with our colleagues in the Legislature to try to get those legal liability protections passed, codified into law, so that we can move forward and support communities as they want to open up overdose prevention states.”
Mobile clinics that provide methadone in the Quabbin, Greater Springfield, Greater Boston, Worcester and Wellfleet regions have been another critical tool in curbing overdose deaths, said Deirdre Calvert, director of DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. She also mentioned the importance of investing in low-threshold housing.
Calvert fought back tears as she noted how much work must still be done to continue combating the opioid epidemic.
“I know I say this all the time, and it’s not just for a headline. But these are people’s children and family members, and they deserve all of the treatment and respect that we can give them,” Calvert said.
Goldstein said DPH’s efforts to address the maternal health crisis, including increasing the use of birth centers and growing the doula workforce, is connected to substance abuse work.
“Over 40% of severe maternal morbidity events in the state are related to substance use disorder. It’s the single largest driver of maternal morbidity in the state,” he said.
The state’s progress in tackling the opioid epidemic, despite gains that officials touted in 2023, is more nuanced when factoring in racial and ethnic disparities in DPH’s latest biannual report, Goldstein signaled.
While the overall rate of fatalities among men decreased from 2020 to 2023, only white non-Hispanic males saw a “significant change,” or a 16% decrease, in the fatality rate, Goldstein said. The fatality rate among Black non-Hispanic males is persistently high, he said.
“So I want to state this clearly, this is yet another example of racism is a serious public health threat and reflects the decades of racism inherent to the war on drugs,” Goldstein said. “When you look at the data, you’ll see that in 2020, the rate of opioid-related overdose death was nearly equivalent for white non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic males and Hispanic males. But by 2023, the rate was two times higher for Black non-Hispanic males, and one and a half times higher for Hispanic males, compared to white non-Hispanic males.”
Officials said that among racial and ethnic groups, American Indians, as well as Black men and women, had the highest opioid-related overdose death rates. Goldstein said the commonwealth’s most rural communities have the highest age-adjusted, opioid-related overdose death rate of 35.6 deaths 100,000 residents.
Goldstein and Calvert are in Greenfield Wednesday to meet with the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, as officials are scheduled to discuss challenges and successful outcomes of implementing public health interventions.
“Since September 2013, the task force has worked diligently with its partners to address the devastating impacts of opioid misuse through prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support,” Goldstein said. “And it’s consistently championed effective, evidence-based solutions to prevent opioid-related overdoses, becoming a national model for delivery of substance use care in rural communities.”
Twinning! This Mass. school has 23 sets of twins graduating together
Talk about seeing double!
On Wednesday, 23 sets of twins will graduate together at Pollard Middle School in Needham, Massachusetts.
They make up just over 10% of the 454-student Class of 2024.
On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 23 sets of twins wil…
Negotiators appear to have deal on revenge porn bill
Lawmakers hashing out the differences between House and Senate versions of a bill to crack down on so-called revenge porn and coercive control appear to be closing in on a deal.
The conference committee retrieved a “jacket” — the …
Louijeune will seek voting reform in Boston
The president of the Boston City Council plans to press for ranked choice voting in the city, an election reform that more than 1.8 million voters rejected in Massachusetts during the 2020 election.
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune o…
Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction: How to watch live and other key details
The big day has finally arrived. On Wednesday — 6/12/2024 — Tom Brady will be inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. He will be the 35th person to receive the honor.
Team executives chose the 12th day of the sixth month as two of the numbers most often associated with Brady’s Patriots career; his six Super Bowl championships and his uniform number, 12. Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft waived the usual four-year waiting period for Brady typically required before inducting players into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss said in his Sunday notes column earlier this year that the event could be similar to “Larry Bird Night” at the Boston Garden in 1993. That event featured many of Bird’s former teammates, as well as friend and longtime on-court nemesis Magic Johnson.
The date is set.
Celebrate the 🐐 on June 12, 2024.@TomBrady | #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/2gDd8E9x61
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 10, 2023
How to watch Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction?
Brady’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will not air on television.
The team says it will be livestreamed on Patriots.com, the Patriots’ YouTube channel and all Patriots social media platforms.
When does it start?
The live broadcast will start at 5 p.m. ET. Former Patriots players Jason McCourty and Deatrich Wise Jr. and Patriots reporter and host Tamara Brown will be live on the red carpet interviewing guests as they arrive starting at 5:15 p.m.
Boston comedian Bill Burr will deliver the opening monologue to kick things off starting at 6:30 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is expected to be over by 9:30 p.m. NBC’s Mike Tirico will host the event, which is expected to feature many of Brady’s former teammates, along with some unnamed special guests.
Which former Patriots teammates will be there?
Many of Brady’s former teammates are expected to attend Wednesday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, including Julian Edelman, Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski, Willie McGinest, Devin McCourty, Vince Wilfork, Ty Law, James White, Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, Matthew Slater, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer, Drew Bledsow, Rob Ninkovich and Patrick Chung.
The team hasn’t officially announced it, but Chad Graff of The Athletic is reporting that former Patriots coach Bill Belichick will be there as well. Kraft is also expected to speak.
Tom Brady Hall of Fame tickets
Just like for any game or concert at Gillette Stadium, the Brady event is ticketed. All individuals, regardless of age, will need a ticket to get in.
Patriots season-ticket holders were reportedly sent information about how to obtain tickets earlier this month. They were given a preferred rate of $36. Tickets can still be purchased via resale by the general public, with seats still available for anywhere from $15 to $600 on Ticketmaster on Tuesday.
The show will go on no matter what the weather is like, but the current forecast for Wednesday night calls for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the 70s.
Umbrellas are not allowed in Gillette Stadium.
How bad will traffic be?
Traffic is expected to be heavy, especially on Route 1.
Police in nearby Walpole issued a warning on Facebook on Monday telling people to allow for extra time if traveling in the area of Gillette Stadium.
“For those who haven’t heard, the GOAT is back in town this Wednesday night,” they said. South Walpole traffic restrictions take effect at 4pm. Weeknights feature commute traffic, so leave yourself extra time if traveling in the area. If headed to the stadium, please utilize Route 1, as it is your quickest and most efficient way to Gillette. Thank you!“
What about parking?
Logistics for fans will be similar to that of a game day. Parking lots open at 3 p.m. Parking is free in all stadium-owned lots across from the stadium on Route 1. Prepaid parking for $25 is available on the stadium-side of Route 1. Tailgating rules are the same as for Patriots games.
The MBTA is also running a special event train leaving South Station at 4:15 p.m. and stopping at Back Bay at 4:20 p.m. and Dedham Corporate Center at 4:35 p.m. It will arrive at Foxboro Station at 5:15 p.m. Check the mTicket app for availability.
Anything else I need to know if I’m going?
Logistics for fans in attendance will be similar to that of a game day. Gates into Gillette Stadium open at 5 p.m. so that fans can enjoy a number of events at the Patriot Place Plaza outside the ProShop. There will be giveaways, photo opportunities, and more. The ProShop will open at 10 a.m., per usual, and stay open for one hour after the event.
All ticketed attendees will receive a special commemorative souvenir, so be sure to grab yours after your ticket is scanned.
Just like it is on a game day, the clear bag policy will be in effect, so be sure to check out the stadium’s rules and regulations ahead of time.
More stories about Tom Brady
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
