State reports slight decrease in drug overdose deaths in 2019

Preliminary data shows Pennsylvania has experienced a slight decrease in drug-overdose deaths in 2019 when compared to the previous year.
State Health Secretary Rachel Levine there was a decrease in such deaths last year of more than 1% when compared to the 4,348 deaths in 2018.
The data also shows a 19% decrease in overdose deaths since 2017, Levine said.
Most of the deaths involved the use of opioids, she said.
“Amid a national pandemic, we must continue to realize that the opioid crisis has not gone away,” she said.
Anyone with a substance use issue should contact Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.