Staten Island Drug Overdoses Drop Nearly 50%

More than 80,000 U.S. residents lost their lives to drug overdose in 2024. While the number may seem staggering, that figure represents a nearly 27% decrease from the previous year.

Contributing to this decrease are locations like Staten Island, which experienced an impressive 49% reduction in accidental overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, studies show. What’s the story behind the borough’s drastic decline? Here are five key takeaways:

1. Drug Deaths in Staten Island Reduced by Half

The Staten Island Department of Mental Health and Hygiene reports a staggering reduction in the number of drug overdose deaths over the past year. In 2023, 157 Staten Islanders lost their lives to accidental overdose, but that number shrank to 81 in 2024.

2. Overdoses Remain a Leading Cause of Death

Despite this downturn, drug overdose is still the leading cause of premature death in the Big Apple. Throughout New York City, nearly 2,200 people died of drug overdose in 2024. Since 2016, nearly 20,000 New Yorkers have lost their lives to accidental overdose.

3. Numbers Are Down, But Disparities Are High

While overall overdose numbers have declined, certain Staten Island populations remain disproportionally affected by the drug epidemic. Latino and African American New Yorkers are the most severely impacted. These communities experience drug overdose at roughly twice the rate of the white population of New York.

4. Fentanyl Crisis Isn’t Over

The prevalence of fentanyl has decreased but the drug continues to drive the overdose crisis, as the 2025 Rehab.com Drug Statistics Report notes. Fentanyl is the most common substance involved in overdose deaths, present in 73% of fatal overdoses in 2024. Cocaine is another driving force, showing up in more than half of the overdose deaths in 2024.

5. Long-Term Coordinated Efforts Are Key

What’s the secret behind the Staten Island overdose reduction? No one cure-all solution can be credited. Instead, years of coordinated efforts appear to be paying off for New Yorkers:

Richmond County District Attorney’s HOPE Program (incarceration diversion)
Wide-spread distribution of Narcan
State-provided fentanyl test strips
Safer prescribing practices among doctors

Officials admit that, despite the current downturn in overdoses, these and similar efforts must remain a top priority to keep things moving in a positive direction.

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