Drug overdose deaths in New Jersey dropped across all racial and ethnic groups for the first time in a decade, the New Jersey Department of Health announced Wednesday. New Jersey had 2,816 drug overdose deaths in 2023, down from 3,171 in 2022, with meaningful reductions across all racial and ethnic groups, new data from the New Jersey State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System shows. The preliminary numbers show the biggest decline in total annual overdose deaths was 32% in Asian populations, followed by 16% in white populations, 5% in Black populations, and 6% among Hispanic or Latino.
State officials and public health experts said the data proves New Jersey’s multi-pronged approach to combatting the overdose epidemic is starting to bear fruit. “New Jersey has been doing a lot of things all at once over the last several years and I think we’re starting to see the payoff,” said Stephen Crystal, director for the Center for Health Services Research at Rutgers University. The milestone comes as New Jersey approaches its goal of having at least one Harm Reduction Center in all 21 counties. The most recent list of authorized Harm Reduction Centers shows every county is on track to have either a mobile or fixed center. To read the full story.