Local police: Drug overdoses increasing faster in NH than anywhere else in the nation

The Granite State is no stranger to the opioid pandemic that has taken lives and devastated communities across America. In fact, data from the state medical examiner’s office final report for 2022 shows that fatal drug overdoses are increasing faster in New Hampshire than anywhere else in the United States. The nation saw a 0.5% increase in overdose deaths from 2021 to 2022, but for New Hampshire, the increase over that same time period was 14%.

According to the state medical examiner’s final report for 2022, 486 people died of a drug overdose, the highest number since 2017. These figures represent more than just data on a statewide crisis. Portsmouth law enforcement and first responders are on the receiving end of countless fatal and near fatal overdose emergency 911 calls. We respond to these crises and witness the tragic, real life consequences for those who battle with addiction, their loved ones, and their communities.

We have served the Portsmouth and Rochester communities for more than two decades on the front lines as law enforcement officers. We have watched the indiscriminate devastation that this crisis leaves in its wake as it takes the independence, and sometimes the lives of our neighbors. Addiction can feel hopeless, but Portsmouth and Rochester residents have done an exceptional job of supporting those who are struggling. 

Community events like HCA Healthcare’s Crush the Crisis, which works in tandem with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offers a safe place to dispose of unused or expired prescription medication while also providing educational resources on addiction to those searching for support. 

During Crush the Crisis, which is held locally by Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Frisbie Memorial Hospital, the hopsitals partner with local law enforcement to collect tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). 

Portsmouth, Rochester and the surrounding communities are better off thanks to the combined efforts of our law enforcement officers and local heathcare heroes who have found ways to make their community safer and healthier beyond the hospital doors. 

Events like Crush the Crisis forge the partnerships necessary in the community to promote the high quality of care available to those seeking treatment; together we can better educate, heal and overcome addiction and the consequences for all those afflicted by it. 

Both hospitals also offer additional resources in the form of an outpatient adult Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and have behavioral health pods in their emergency departments, providing members of our community with access to care in a setting designed to best meet mental health needs and reduce ER wait times. 

Those aren’t the only resources available to those looking to overcome addiction. The Seacoast Mental Health Center is a community leader in mental health and wellness. Their Substance Use Disorder Treatment is a valuable resource for those struggling with addiction and their loved ones because the path to recovery is one we walk together. Their 24/7 Behavioral Health Crisis Support through the NH Rapid Response Access Point is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—by phone, text or chat: 833-710-6477 or NH988.com.

There is no simple solution to the opioid crisis here in New Hampshire and across the country. However, as a community, we are saving lives by working together to ensure the resources, education, and recovery initiatives needed to help addicts and their families are available.

Dave Keaveny is captain of the Investigative Division for the Portsmouth Police Department. Todd Pinkham is captain of the Rochester Police Department.