15

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, February 21, 2020 Page 15 State report shows drop in opioid-related overdose deaths statewide since 2016 (Editor’s Note: The following info was issued recently by the state Department of Public Health.) BOSTON – The rate of opioidrelated overdose deaths in Massachusetts fell an estimated five percent from its peak in 2016, despite the growing presence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as a driver of opioid-related overdose deaths, according to preliminary data in the latest quarterly opioid surveillance report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). In 2019 the opioid-related overdose death rate was 29 per 100,000 people, compared to 30.5 per 100,000 people in 2016. Preliminary data shows that in 2019 there were 2,023 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths, while for the same period in 2016 there were 2,097 confirmed opioidrelated overdose deaths. “This report demonstrates that focused investments in substance misuse are having an impact, but there is still a lot of work to do to curb the opioid epidemic in our communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are encouraged by the expanded use of the prescription monitoring program and continued reduction of new prescriptions, and remain committed to making new investments in prevention, education, treatment, and recovery for individuals and families across the Commonwealth.” “Behind every statistic in each of these quarterly reports is a person, a family, and a community that has been impacted by this crisis,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our administration remains committed to working with all stakeholders to continue to provide the resources and supports needed to address the opioid epidemic across the Commonwealth.” While the presence of fentanyl in the toxicology of opioid-related overdose deaths remains high at 93 percent from January to September 2019, the rate of heroin or likely heroin present in opioid-related overdose deaths has continued to decline since 2014, and that rate was reported as 25 percent during the first nine months of 2019. The percentage of opioid-related overdose deaths where prescription drugs were present trended downward from 2014 through 2016, and that rate has remained stable since with approximately 13 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2019 having prescription opioids present in toxicology. The report found a decrease in the confirmed opioid-related overdose death rate for White non-Hispanic and Black nonHispanic men between 2017 and 2018; however, during that time the death rate increased for Asian/Pacific Islander nonHispanic men. The opioid-related overdose death rate for Hispanic men decreased slightly in 2018 compared with 2017, but that rate has remained the highest across all racial and ethnic groups since 2016. “This report shows progress on multiple fronts, including a reduction in Schedule II opioid prescriptions,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “We must continue to invest in and focus on providing the best and most effective services and supports across the spectrum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery.” Continued integration of the Prescription Monitoring Program’s Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (MassPAT) into larger Electronic Health Record systems has allowed providers to more easily conduct the required MassPAT checks for a patient’s prescription history prior to issuing a prescription for Schedule II or III narcotic medications or a first-time benzodiazepine. In the fourth quarter of 2019 in Massachusetts: • Just over 225,000 individuals received prescriptions for Schedule II opioids in the fourth quarter of 2019, which is nearly a 42 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2015 (n = 390,532). • Registered MassPAT providers searched more than 2.8 million times, which represented an increase of approximately 500,000 searches since the previous quarter. • There were just under 500,000 Schedule II opioid prescriptions reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program, which is more than a 40 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2015 (n = 841,990 Schedule II opioid prescriptions). “While we are steadily making progress, it is still unacceptable that 2,000 individuals in Massachusetts die from this preventable disease each year,” said DPH Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel. “We will continue to use our data-driven approach to focus on high-risk, high-need priority populations and disparities to achieve our goal of reducing opioid overdoses and deaths.” This week, DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services reissued a clinical advisory to substance abuse treatment providers emphasizing the role of polysubstance use in the opioid epidemic. Among other things, the advisory recommends that clinicians administer naloxone in any drug overdose if the victim is unresponsive and has reduced or absent breathing and to educate individuals and families about the dangers of illicit drugs potentially mixed with fentanyl. The Baker-Polito Administration, in collaboration with the Legislature, has doubled spending to address the opioid crisis and increased capacity by more than 1,200 treatment beds, including more than 800 adult substance abuse treatment beds at different treatment levels. In addition, the Administration is investing nearly $220 million over five years from the federally approved 1115 Medicaid waiver, which began in fiscal year 2018, to meet the needs of individuals with addictions and/ or co-occurring disorders. Tchaikovsky and a N.E. premiere highlight North Shore Philharmonic Winter Concert T chaikovsky’s dramatic Fifth Symphony and the New England premiere of a double-clarinet concerto by American composer Daniel Crozier will highlight the “Winter” concert of the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra (NSPO) on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. at Swampscott High School auditorium. Boston Symphony Orchestra principal clarinet William Hudgins will partner with his wife, Catherine, in the New England premiere of “Spirit,” a rare concerto for two clarinets. Both accomplished clarinet players have performed worldwide under the leading conductors in the classical world. In “Spirit” Crozier created a narrative drama in five movements in which the two clarinets appear as protagonists in a narrative drama in five movements that traverses a wide expanse of emotional landscape. NSPO Music Director Robert Lehmann lauded the work as “a wonderful, evocative work with dazzling clarinet writing and powerful orchestral statements.” It will be the first time the piece is performed by a New England orchestra after Hudgins played its successful world premiere in Tennessee last July. Lehmann praised the two soloists. “They are extraordinary,” he said. William Hudgins has occupied the principal clarinet chair with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since being appointed by Seiji Ozawa in 1994. He serves on the faculty of the New England Conservatory and has performed as soloist with the BSO on multiple occasions. Catherine is an active chamber musician and has performed under such renowned conductors as Pierre Boulez, Christoph von Dohnányi, Kurt Masur, James Levine, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Andris Nelsons and Seiji Ozawa. Lehmann calls Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony “one of the most beloved symphonies of all time. This ever-popular masterpiece weaves a recurring ‘fate’ motive through each movement, as the composer searches for his own ‘ultimate victory through strife,’” Lehmann commented. The music follows the composer’s brooding and melancholy opening to the triumphant final climax. “The Tchaikovsky Fifth Symphony is a blockbuster if there ever was one!” said Lehmann. Also on the program is Russian composer Alexander Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances.” Taken from Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor,” the music embraces Russian musical folk sources. “The Dances showcase a rich orchestral color palette and charming melodies, the most notable being ‘A Stranger in Paradise,’ which was borrowed years later for the Broadway musical ‘Kismet,’ said Lehmann. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door for $30 – $25 for seniors and students – children 12 and under are admitted free. Advance sale can be made through NSPO’s website, www.nspo.org. Now in its 72nd consecutive season, NSPO plays three subscription concerts per year at Swampscott High School. The NSPO’s “Spring” concert is Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. William and Catherine Hudgins will perform the New England premiere of “Spirit,” a Concerto for Two Clarinets written by American composer Daniel Crozier, at North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Winter” concert on Sunday, March 1, at 3 p.m. at the Swampscott High School auditorium. National Polar Bear Day brings back fond memories of “Major” – still everybody’s favorite at Stone Zoo N ational Polar Bear Day is observed on February 27. It is a day to learn more about polar bears and conservation efforts where they are concerned. It is also a day for many long-standing supporters of Stone Zoo to recall fond memories of everybody’s favorite polar bear – “Major” – who was adored by tens of thousands of visitors during his 25 years at the zoo. He was euthanized in June of 2000 at the age of 33 after zoo officials discovered he was suffering from advanced liver cancer and determined that nothing more could be done to restore his BEAR | SEE PAGE 17

16 Publizr Home