Stats provided by the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team show 134 total overdoses last year: 26 fatal and 108 non-fatal. The numbers were presented by county legislator Mary Wawro at a recent meeting of the Ulster County Coalition Against Narcotics.
Fatal vs. non-fatal, by location
Esopus, Ellenville and Lloyd had a disproportionate number of non-fatal overdoses. Non-fatal overdoses varied widely, from 0 to 18, while fatal overdoses were less variable, between 0 in many places and no more than 4.
Males vs. Females
Males made up nearly 2/3 of the total overdoses.
Gender by age
For males, the largest number of incidents came in the age range of 20-29, while for females, the highest range was 30-39.
Overdoses by gender and month
Overdoses for males peaked in the summer; females, in April, August and December.
Fatal vs. non-fatal by drug
Comparing fatal and non-fatal overdoses, heroin and other opiods comprised a larger share of fatal overdoses, while other non-opiate prescription medications made up a larger share of non-fatal overdoses.
If you cluster some of the towns together that are in proximity to each other, you see a really large portion of overdoses in the Esopus/Lloyd/Marlboro area. Any insights as to why that may be?
Because that Heroin is coming from the Poughkeepie area. This is just an observation from watching someone I love go through a heroin addiction. By the grace of God he is clean but when he was using it was several trips a day to Poughkeepsie for him.
[…] Ulster County 2016 drug overdoses, by town and gender […]
Find the source, South of the Boarder? Gangs? Illegals? We need a gang task force! This is just another reason that we need Federal Help to track the stuff!
Sanctuary Cities my rear end!
Addiction is driven by loneliness and depression. As long as there is a demand, the suppliers will find a way. We need to think of ways to address the causes of addiction to really make a difference. Beefing up law enforcement has not been a successful strategy.
boredom, real or perceived breed drug abuse… Ulster county has never had a social scene. Whn bored and lonely, living on small roads where no one can see into your back yard, it’s just plain old easy to kill time and amuse yourself, if only very briefly, with drug abuse. Many cities around the globe that have studied this problem have found that Creating Distraction, often in the form of social activities, covering differing age groups and social skill sets has been monumentally helpful in reducing drug abuse… along with policing the doctors who are WAY over-prescribing narcotics and getting people hooked after injuries or surgeries…. Plain and simple…there is NOTHING to do in Kingston, Saugerties, Ellenville or any of these other small towns…
I moved from New Paltz NY to NJ shore in 2004 but continue to have ties with the HTC.
The heroin epidemic is out of control everywhere and has little to do with boredom. MDs have been overprescribing opiates for almost 25 years. The resulting population of addicts who turned to heroin is enormous. My exhusband was one such victim of rogue prescriptions. Here in the relatively affluent Ocean County, the dealers have learned to mix fentanyl and heroin resulting in a deadly and seriously addictive cocktail. The use of Narcan by first responders and families of addicts has helped prevent a few deaths but often those saved revert back to the same situation and drug use. The population here is mixed and often, white collar professionals and soccer moms. This is an epidemic that will continue to grow stronger unless the country as a whole deals with it head on.