Delaware's Opioid Crisis Loading

Delaware's Opioid Crisis

More than one Delawarean dies from a drug overdose each day* Delaware graphic
*State of Delaware, Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Division of Forensic Science. 2021 Annual Report, Delaware, 2021. Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, August 2022.
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1 What is the scope of Delaware’s drug overdose crisis?
Person looking at pills in hands
2000-2019 | Delaware residents Drug Overdose Deaths By drug overdose death rates alone, the crisis continues to escalate. The rate of drug overdose deaths has increased from 6.7 per 100,000 to 48.4 per 100,000 in 2019, which is a seven-fold increase.
2011-2021 | Delaware residents Drug Overdose Death Rates by Sex
2011-2021 | Delaware residents Drug Overdose Death Rates by Drug Type Opioids are fueling the overdose death rates in Delaware with a drastic increase in synthetic opioids in recent years.
2 Who is dying from drug overdoses?
Construction worker with head in hands
2019 | Delaware Residents Sex

67% people who died from a drug overdose identified as Male

33% people who died from a drug overdose identified as Female

2017 | Delaware Residents Sex: Male Employment

36% of males who died from an overdose were in construction jobs.

2017 | Delaware Residents Sex: Female Employment

33% of females who died from an overdose were not employed.

Age

3 out of 4 were aged 25 to 54 years old at death.

Group of 4 people, 3 colored and 1 not (3 out of 4)

General Health

4 out of 5 interacted with a health system* in the year prior to death.

Group of 5 people, 4 colored and 1 not (4 out of 5)
28% had past or present hepatitis C infection.

*Delaware health system interaction was defined as a decedent's use of, encounter, or interaction in Delaware with at least one of the following: a visit to a Delaware emergency department (ED), an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) encounter, a prescription in the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), treatment or services administered by a Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) contracted site, and discharge from a Delaware hospital.

3 Where are overdose deaths occurring?
Nurse or doctor making note on patients chart within hospital room
2019 | United States Residents National Drug Overdose Deaths In 2019, a total of 70,630 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths was 21.6 per 100,000. Source: CDC
2019 | Delaware Residents Drug Overdose Deaths by County Delaware has the second highest drug overdose death rate in the country with an age-adjusted drug overdose mortality rate of 48.4 per 100,000 in 2019. All three counties have rates higher than the national rate. is the highest with 48 deaths per 100,000.

Drug Overdose Deaths by County

New Castle County
48.3
Kent County
42.5
Sussex County
54.9

2019 average age-adjusted rate per 100 persons

Drug Overdose Deaths by County

2017 | Wilmington Residents Drug overdose death rates in Wilmington The City of Wilmington has the highest known rate in Delaware with 66* deaths per 100,000.

* Delaware Epidemiology, Health Data, and Informatics Section. Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance Report, Delaware, 2017. Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, August 2019.

Drug overdose death rates in Wilmington

Wilmington
66

2017 average age-adjusted rate per 100,000 persons

4 Is there an end in sight?
Close image of prescription bottles in hands
2019 | United States Residents People who filled any opioid prescription in the US The average national prescription rate in 2019 was 46.7 per 100 people, or approximately 15.4 prescriptions per month per 1,000 people. Source: CDC
2012-2019 | Delaware Residents People who filled any opioid prescription in Delaware Delaware’s monthly prescription rate of 33 per 1,000 persons in December 2019 was above the national average, but rates have been declining.

People who filled any opioid prescription in Delaware

New Castle County
3.1
Kent County
3.4
Sussex County
4.0

December 2019 monthly rate per 1,000 persons

People who filled any opioid prescription in Delaware

5 What is Delaware doing to combat the opioid crisis?
Doctor speaking with patient in examination room
Pharmacist looking over collection of medicine bottles
2012 Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) started
Frame of video on Help is Here website
Oct 2014 Help is Here Launched

Help is Here is launched as a single point where Delawarians can visit for resources to aid in their personal fights with the opioid crisis.

Nalaxone administration kit
July 2017 Community access to naloxone is expanded

The opioid overdose-reversing medication naloxone became available without an individual prescription at all of the 20 CVS Pharmacy locations in Delaware, including those located inside Target stores.

Delaware governor signing bill, surrounded by public officials
Sep 2018 Comprehensive package of legislation passed to support efforts
  • Establishes nation's first overdose care system
  • Increases education about alternative pain management
  • Data sharing between public health and Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)

Listen to a WHYY report about the bill's signing

Screen capture of OpiRescure app 1 Screen capture of OpiRescure app 1 Screen capture of OpiRescure app 3
March 2019 OpiRescue app released to public

As part of its multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid crisis and reducing the number of individuals dying from drug overdoses in Delaware, the Division of Public Health (DPH) announced the launch of a new smartphone app that provides lifesaving step-by-step instructions on how to use naloxone during an opioid overdose.

Pages of Surveillance report
Aug 2019 Surveillance report released

Report released summarizing data collected by DHSS in 2017. It highlights the negative impacts of the opioid crisis in Delaware and the importance of the State's action to fight it.

6 Where can people get help?
Two people (father and son) embracing