NJ Health Department Highlights Overdose Prevention Efforts in Recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day

TRENTON - As New Jersey recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) joins with our sister agencies and partners in reaffirming our commitment to ending the overdose crisis by continuing to increase access to integrated, evidence-based harm reduction services and care for addiction.

Governor Murphy issued a proclamation designating August 31, 2024, as Overdose Awareness Day, noting that this is a day to remember those lost to drug overdose while working to support their loved ones and take action to end preventable overdoses.

In 2023, NJDOH's preliminary data show that more than seven New Jersey residents per day were tragically lost to overdose. Nationally, in 2023, there were an estimated 107,543 overdose deaths in the U.S. -a three percent drop from an estimated 111,029 deaths in 2022­, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, which notes it is the first yearly decrease since 2018. Earlier this year, NJDOH unveiled its Overdose Mortality Data Explorer, which allows the public to explore demographic disparities in fatal overdose by county.

"The opioid epidemic has taken its toll on individuals, on their families, and on our communities," said Health Commissioner and addiction medicine physician Kaitlan Baston, M.D. "While New Jersey's overdose deaths have begun to decline overall, we are unfortunately seeing rising overdoses in Black and Brown communities - and that is unacceptable. These communities are less likely to have access to medications like buprenorphine and methadone, which are proven to cut the death rate for opioid use disorder by nearly 60%."

Harm Reduction Centers are community-based programs that offer a safe, trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing space for people who use drugs to access naloxone, sterile syringes, and other safer use supplies. They also facilitate safe disposal of used syringes and provide access or referral to wraparound services, such as substance use disorder treatment, health care, and services that address basic needs.

Last week, NJDOH authorized New Jersey's 50th Harm Reduction Center site. This includes 28 sites currently open in 20 of New Jersey's 21 counties. Sites include fixed, mobile, and mail-based services.

In the first six months of 2024, Harm Reduction Centers are on track to double the number of clients served in 2023-the number of clients served from January through June 2024 is nearly 2,500 compared to 2,864 persons served in all of 2023.

New Jersey is investing more than $24 million in opioid settlement funds over the next two years toward harm reduction efforts, which builds upon the FY2025 state budget investment of $4.5 million. Of these resources, approximately $16 million in state and opioid settlement funding will be made available to support harm reduction services throughout the state with qualified organizations through the Request for Applications process.

In January, Governor Murphy signed legislation to expand access to additional life-saving harm reduction supplies. Previously, Harm Reduction Centers in New Jersey could distribute naloxone and other opioid antidotes, fentanyl test strips, and clean syringes. Under the new law, they are also now permitted to distribute other harm reduction supplies. These supplies, which are exempt from criminal penalty when provided by authorized harm reduction centers, include any materials or equipment used to prevent death and physical harm, reduce the spread of disease, or mitigate the adverse effects associated with the personal use of controlled dangerous substances, such as test strips for xylazine.

The Department is also committed to increasing access to integrated, evidence-based addiction care. With a combination of state and federal funds a new single statewide platform is in development to link individuals to immediate access to medications for addiction treatment and harm reduction services. This new platform aims to simplify access to medications for addiction treatment, particularly for patients in facing transportation barriers or a lack of nearby providers.

All of these initiatives continue to build on Governor Murphy's whole-of-government approach to combat the overdose crisis.

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