A record number of people died of drug-involved overdose deaths in 2020 in New York, part of a nationwide trend amid the onset of the COVID pandemic, according to a report released Monday by the state Department of Health. 

Many of deaths are attributed to opioids and in particular fentanyl, which health officials believe is increasingly prevalent on the illicit drug market. More broadly, the sharp rise in opioid deaths across the country and in New York reflect the growing concerns over so-called "deaths of despair" as the pandemic severed long-standing social connections. 

The findings give policymakers and legislators a new complication in trying to find ways of combating what is now a generations-long battle against opioid use. New York lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul are also negotating a state budget that could determine the direction of millions of dollars in opioid settlement money in the coming year.

The report released by the Department of Health largely relied on data gathered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths reached record highs in 2020 across the nation and here in New York State,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. “This reporting enables us to address statewide issues and tailor localized solutions. I applaud the dynamic work of the Department’s team at the Office of Public Health and our partners at the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports for continuing to innovate the way we support New Yorkers battling opioid use and those who treat them.”

There were 91,000 drug-involved overdose deaths in in 2020, the highest in history. In New York, the number of overdose deaths in 2020 increased by 37% from 2019, with number of drug-involved deaths growing from 3,617 deaths to 4,965.

Overdose deaths attributed to opioids made up the majority of these fatalities and rose by 44% between 2019 and 2020, growing from 2,939 deaths to 4,233 deaths. On average 12 people died of an opioid overdose every day in New York in 2020. 

The deaths were a statewide problem: New York City boroughs saw the highest number of hospitalizations for opioid overdoses and Naloxone administration. But Long Island, as well as Erie, Onondaga and Monroe counties also recorded the highest numbers of overdose-related hospitalizations in 2020 outside of the five boroughs. 

 “Harm reduction practices have been a balm on the wounds of communities fighting opioid use, informed by tools of compassion, science, and real-world insight," said Joyce Rivera, the CEO and found of St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction and a member of New York State Opioid Settlement Fund. "Thanks to the State Department of Health’s reporting and their overall efforts to build on the compassionate basis for community work, our harm reduction pioneers have the global data needed to continually optimize life-saving programs. This means providing the support New Yorkers—particularly those with HIV and HCV—need today, as well as advancing long overdue shifts in policy.”