Good morning ~

On May 14th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 27% decline in fatal overdoses in 2024 from the previous year. While this is heartening news, an estimated 80,391 individuals still died from an overdose, leaving scores of families and friends grieving the loss of their loved ones before their time.

Our local data mirror these national trends, showing a decline of 62.5% in overdose deaths in 2024 from the previous year.

Many factors have contributed to this significant decrease in fatalities, such as expanded access to medications for opioid and substance use disorders, such as methadone, increased post-opioid overdose follow-up and outreach programs, such as CONNECT, and ready access to naloxone, most commonly known by one brand name, Narcan, a proven overdose reversal medication.

Since July 1, 2021, as part of its work, CONNECT has distributed 4,722 naloxone kits as of May 12, 2025. It has installed nearly 50 public access naloxone containers in public, community, and business settings where individuals can obtain naloxone free of charge to use at any time. Through its Mobile Outreach Program, CONNECT also makes naloxone available to anyone who wants it, often engaging in thoughtful conversations with community members of all ages about its importance, much in the same way one would have an EpiPen on hand if someone had a life-threatening reaction to insect stings, medications, or foods.

The widespread acceptance of naloxone use to reverse overdoses has been a game-changer.

Data proves its effectiveness, especially among the number of "community bystanders", who have often responded to overdoses before 911 is called or emergency medical services personnel arrive on the scene, saving countless lives.

But too many overdoses still occur.

Between 2019 and 2024 (see above chart), 1,604 Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region residents have experienced a non-fatal overdose. While there was an 8.14% decline in non-fatal overdoses in 2024 from the previous year, we still had nearly 240 people overdose in a single year. Naloxone is a medication we must have readily and easily on hand to save as many lives as possible.

This is why we are extremely concerned about the White House's draft budget proposal to eliminate the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or FR-CARA, grant program, a $56 million effort managed by SAMHSA, to train first responders and other community partners on using and distributing naloxone.

We know firsthand how crucial this funding is, as the Opioid Task Force was an FR-CARA grant recipient from 2020 through 2024, which helped launch CONNECT.

In a rural region like ours, where the majority of police, fire, and emergency medical service (EMS) departments are part-time or staffed by volunteers, federal grant funds to combat overdoses have been essential to this life-saving work. With grant funding over this four-year period, the Opioid Task Force provided 90 unique trainings, serving 3,659 participants. It also held 45 free overdose prevention and naloxone trainings, through our partnership with Tapestry, which has trained 544 individuals. It also held two "train-the-trainer" sessions with HRiA, in which 22 individuals learned how to teach others to prevent overdoses and administer naloxone.

We distribute naloxone at no cost to police, fire, and EMS officials, so that they do not bear the prohibitive cost of purchasing naloxone when municipalities have multiple demands on their budgets.

Despite all of our efforts, much work remains ahead of us. Since January 2025, our rural region has already seen six fatalities. The illicit drug supply continues to be dangerous, and the cycle of addiction can be challenging to address.

Research shows that recovery is possible and works, but it can take years. Our mission is to keep people alive so that they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families.

We hope you will join us in urging our federally elected officials to continue to provide federal grant funding for naloxone and naloxone training, so that communities like ours can offer hope and help to those who have experienced or witnessed an overdose.

Sincerely,

Register John F. Merrigan

 Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan

Sheriff Lori M. Streeter

 Co-chairs, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region