PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Health issued an overdose spike alert this week for increased non-fatal opioid overdose activity in the communities of Burrillville, Foster, Glocester, and Scituate, known as Region 1.
According to a release from the agency, an overdose spike alert is issued when a municipality or region experiences a higher-than-usual number of non-fatal overdoses within seven days.
RIDOH notes that the overdose threshold is three in the four-town region, and from Friday, March 28 to Thursday, April 3, that number was exceeded, although fewer than five were reported. The overdose activity reportedly exceeds historical data for the region and meets the criteria for an overdose spike alert.
The data is monitored daily by RIDOH’s non-fatal overdose Integrated Surveillance System, which tracks non-fatal, opioid overdose trends, regional hot spots, and emergency medical care utilization.
RIDOH notes that the drug supply continues to contribute to a public health crisis, and that illicit fentanyl continues to dominate the drug supply, and has been detected in substances such as cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit pills. Pills obtained from sources other than a pharmacy should be assumed to have fentanyl.
For more information, visit RIDOH’s Opioid and Stimulant Use Data Hub.
