A stretcher being removed from an ambulance.
The number of overdose-related deaths in one Massachusetts town has more than doubled in the last year, officials said Thursday, sharing readily available resources to prevent any further deaths.
There were five overdose deaths in Winthrop last year, and already in 2024 there have been 12 linked to drug overdoses, with a month-and-a-half left to a go in the year, including the holidays, when drug misuse typically increases, town health and police officials said.
"This news is tragic, and we are now concerned because the holiday season is approaching, and we have historically seen rates of substance misuse increase overall during this time of year," said Winthrop Health Director Meredith Hurley said in a statement. "We want everyone in our community to know that we have many resources available to help those struggling with substance use disorder. We want to help save lives."
The city offers free, confidential peer recovery coaching for anyone thinking about recovering from substance misuse, as well as free Narcan and fentanyl test strips at the Winthrop Department of Public Health. Narcan and fentanyl test strips can also be mailed locally, without any questions, officials said. Anyone with questions can contact the Winthrop Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery Team at: clearteam@winthropma.gov.
"We want to spread the word that the drugs in our community are claiming lives at a record rate this year," Police Chief John Goodwin said in a statement. "The Winthrop CLEAR Team has multiple ways to help those struggling with substance use disorder, and we are pleading with users to make use of those services before it's too late."
Anyone planning to use drugs alone can reach the 24/7 Never Use Alone Hotline by calling 877-696-1996.
Officials didn't share what factors, if any, are suspected to be behind the jump in overdose deaths.
