It's small towns too. Why are opioid overdose deaths skyrocketing in Worcester County?

WORCESTER – People are dying at an alarming rate from opioids, and not just in the largest Central Massachusetts cities of Worcester, Fitchburg and Leominster.  

Some of the smaller towns outside these urban centers also saw their death numbers rise dramatically last year, according to the latest numbers from the state Department of Public Health. 

In north central Worcester County, Sterling, located directly south of Leominster with a population of roughly 8,000, a total of five residents died of opioid-related overdoses last year, compared to zero in 2021, according to the state data.

In the southern part of the county, Webster, with a population of roughly 18,000 located on the Connecticut border, had a total of 10 fatalities last year, compared to four in 2021.

Calls and emails that requested comment from Sterling Health Agent David Favreau were not returned. Requests for comment from Webster Health Director Camille Griffin were also not returned. 

Drug dealers go where the money is

The reasons some small towns have seen a spike in drug overdose deaths are unclear, but one expert believes dealers will go anywhere customers live. 

“I definitely think that where the money is, that’s where dealers are going to go,” said Jennessa McQuade, a member of the Leominster Police Department’s addiction task force and outreach team. 

McQuade pointed out that drugs sold on the street are much more potent. The synthetic opioid fentanyl, significantly more powerful and deadly than heroin, was tied to 93% of fatal opioid overdoses statewide in 2022 where a toxicology report was available. 

Another potentially deadly ingredient is the animal tranquilizer xylazine. It was present in 5% of opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts from June to December 2022 where a toxicology screening was available.   

'Pressed pills' a danger in Leominster

McQuade said dealers are selling pills as Adderall and Percocet that are pressed with fentanyl, and the user has no idea what they’re getting. 

Gardner, located west of Fitchburg and Leominster, is another north central city that saw a rise in overdose deaths last year. With a population of 21,000, Gardner experienced a 36% rise in fatal overdoses – 15 last year, compared to 11 in 2021. 

Michelle Dunn works on the front lines of the drug treatment arena in Gardner.  

“What I can say is that drugs have always been around. The difference today is what they’re cut with,” said Dunn, assistant vice president of substance use disorder services at GAAMHA Inc. 

Highway access that makes for easy transport of drugs is another problem, said Dunn. Route 2, which runs into Gardner, connects with Interstate 91, a major roadway that runs north from New Haven, Connecticut.

2022 was a record year

Statewide, 2022 was a record year for opioid-related overdose deaths: 

• There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts, a 2.5% increase, surpassing the previous peak in 2021 by an estimated 57 deaths.  
• Among non-Hispanic Black residents, the opioid-related overdose death rate increased by 42%, from 36.4 to 51.7 deaths per 100,000 residents from 2021 to 2022. 
• Preliminary data shows 522 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in the first three months of 2023, a 7.7% decrease (an estimated 44 fewer deaths) from the same period in 2022.  

Worcester County had the greatest percentage increase statewide in overdose deaths (18%), followed by Plymouth County (14%). 

2022 a deadly year in Worcester

New England’s second-largest city had a 37% increase in drug overdose deaths – 168 last year, compared to 123 in 2021, according to state figures. 

“We’ve had a very huge increase in mortality,” said Dr. Matilde Castiel, Worcester’s commissioner of health and human services.  Worcester police report 413 overdoses through May of this year, including 14 deaths. Police noted that last number is likely higher once the state medical examiner determines the cause of death.

Worcester is working with community partners to address addiction. Castiel cited examples, including a mobile drug treatment van operated by Spectrum Health Systems and outreach teams led by Dr. David Smelson at UMass Memorial Health.

What Worcester needs to fight drug addiction

Castiel said a so-called day resource center is needed, where an array of drug treatment services is located in one spot. The social service organization Net of Compassion was working on making it happen, but the cost of removing contaminated soil from a city site was too prohibitive, according to Castiel.

Talks are underway between the city and community partners to bring a center to Worcester. Castiel declined to give specifics. 

Other resources Worcester needs, said Castiel, include:

● Administering the drug suboxone in ambulances to overdose victims. State approval is required to move ahead. Suboxone cuts the severity of withdrawal symptoms and reduces dependence on opioids in the long term.   

● Around-the-clock recovery coaches in emergency rooms to help overdose victims access extended treatment and recovery services. UMass Memorial Health needs state funds to pay for it. 

● More drug prevention programs in the Worcester Public Schools are a necessity, because the average age when substance use starts is 13. 

Meanwhile, boxes with free doses of the overdose-reversing drug Narcan could appear soon in municipal buildings and other locations, said Castiel. 

Creative solutions needed

Dunn, the drug treatment specialist in Gardner, would likely support those boxes because she feels creative approaches are needed to fight the skyrocketing number of overdose deaths in Massachusetts. 

Dunn mentioned two “outside the box” examples in Gardner run by GAAMHA. The Carl E. Dahl House at Evergreen Grove is a therapeutic farming community where residents tend to livestock and care for crops while accessing clinical support and recovery education. R.O.O.T.S. at Evergreen Grove is a similar model, a farm and livestock rescue program for young people experiencing challenges related to substance use and mental health. 

'Awful when we lose somebody'

In Leominster, a city that experienced a 59% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths (27 in 2022, 17 in 2021), McQuade, who spends her time driving the streets with police to help victims of drug overdoses, said any effective methods that save lives is welcome.  

“It’s awful when we lose somebody in our community,” she said. 

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter: @henrytelegram.