Accidental fatal overdoses in CT in 2024 at lowest level since 2016, officials say

Stamford Advocate – Tuesday, March 18, 2017
By Josh LaBella

The number of accidental overdose deaths in Connecticut dropped for the third year in a row in 2024, to the lowest number in nearly a decade, officials said.

There were 982 accidental drug intoxication deaths in 2024 compared to 1,329 in 2023, according to the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

In a report, officials said Connecticut has seen a decrease in accidental drug intoxication deaths of 26 percent in 2024 compared to 2023. They said fentanyl remains the dominant drug and was detected in 762, or nearly 80 percent, of all accidental drug intoxication deaths.

The data from the report shows accidental fatal overdoses in 2024 were Connecticut’s lowest since 2016, when there were 917 deaths.

Officials reported that deaths from fentanyl analogues have decreased from 173 in 2023 to 47 in 2024, while deaths involving cocaine have decreased from 723 deaths in 2023 to 586 in 2024.

Meanwhile, the report said about 35 percent, or 342, of the fatalities last year involved Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer.

Access this article at its original source.