You are reading

Overdose Deaths in Queens Surged During the Pandemic: Queens District Attorney

July 16, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Overdose deaths in Queens surged at an alarming rate during the pandemic, the Queens District Attorney revealed in a report Friday.

Nearly 50 percent more Queens residents died of a fatal overdose in 2020 compared to 2019 — in a devastating shift that mirrors a nation-wide trend.

“There is no question that the pandemic, which fueled a national drug abuse crisis, also hit us hard here in our borough,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

Last year, 391 people died of an overdose in Queens — a 45.5 percent increase over 2019, when 268 people overdosed.

The majority of the deaths — 71 percent — were the result of the deadly drug fentanyl and its derivatives. Many drugs are laced with fentanyl without the user’s knowledge.

“While there were 82 homicides in Queens last year, there were nearly five times as many deaths due to drug overdoses, and the overwhelming majority were attributed to fentanyl,” Katz said. “Addressing this epidemic remains one of the greatest public health challenges facing current and future generations of Queens residents.”

Men accounted for 80 percent of overdose deaths in Queens. The death totals were the highest among residents aged 31 to 60, according to data provided by Katz’s office.

Overdose deaths were highest among white residents, followed by Black residents.

Nationwide, 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an uptick in job loss and overall stress that — along with lockdown restrictions — exacerbated opioid usage and deaths across the country and within Queens, Katz said.

The DA's office says it aims to assist residents who face low-level drug use charges. The office has set up the Queens Misdemeanor Treatment Court that provides participants with a variety of services, including an introduction to substance use and alcohol addiction treatment.

The office refers eligible defendants for clinical assessment, where they receive recommendations for different treatment options. When participants complete a treatment program, their case is dismissed. The program includes educational, vocational, and home health services related to mental health or psychiatric conditions.

To find a treatment provider, visit FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov. Call the 24/7 NYS Hopeline: 877-
846-7369 or text 467369 for free and confidential help. Those in need may also find help at this link:
https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/locator

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Brooklyn man killed on Belt Parkway in Howard Beach after crash sends SUV into tree: NYPD

A Brooklyn man was killed in a high-speed chain-reaction crash near Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach on Tuesday night.

Police from the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park responded to a 911 call of a vehicle collision on the Belt Parkway and 79th Street at around 11:12 p.m. and found a 25-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to the body. EMS responded to the scene and rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said Wednesday. He was later identified as Nicolas Blagovisny of Stuart Street in Sheepshead Bay.

Bronx man killed in single-vehicle crash on the Nassau Expressway in Springfield Gardens: NYPD

A Bronx man was killed in a horrific crash on the Nassau Expressway near JFK Airport early Wednesday morning.

Police from the 113th Precinct in Jamaica responded to a 911 call about a vehicle collision near Exit 3 on the Nassau Expressway, where they found the 25-year-old motorist had been ejected from his BMW. EMS responded to the scene and rushed the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified as Andre A. Beadle of Mickel Avenue in the Pelham Gardens section of the Bronx.

State Senator Joseph Addabbo cruises to victory past GOP challenger Danniel Maio

Like he has done so many times in the past, State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. is thanking the community for re-electing him after he defeated his Republican challenger, Danniel Maio, by nearly 40 points on election night.

Addabbo was first elected to the Senate in 2008 after serving seven years in the City Council. “I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the trust of my constituents once again,” Addabbo said.

NYC immigrant groups denounce Trump’s re-election, pledge to protect immigrant communities

Nov. 6, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

In the wake of Donald Trump being re-elected President of the United States Tuesday, multiple New York City-based immigrant organizations have released statements in which they criticized Trump for his history of anti-immigrant rhetoric and reinforced their missions to protect immigrants from any unconstitutional actions his administration may take to get them deported.

AM Pheffer Amato will have to wait once again to declare victory over GOP challenger

Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato will have to wait to see if the voters of South Queens are sending her back to Albany, where she has been one of the most prolific legislators in recent years.

Pheffer Amato holds a slim two-and-a-half-point lead over her Republican challenger, Thomas Sullivan, in a rematch of the 2022 race that she won by just 15 votes after waiting nearly two months to declare victory.