Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | November 22, 2021 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M AS S I N B R I E F V E R BAT I M Better prosthetics "Advances in molecular science over the last two decades have expanded our understanding of energy use at the tiniest scale." Sam Walcott, a researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, discussing a $1.4-million grant he received from the National Institute of Health, to work on developing a model to predict the amount of chemical energy muscles need to contract Insuring cannabis "Insurance formularies should reflect the need for medical marijuana among Massachusetts patients – and under this legislation, they'd be able to." State Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Cape Cod), promoting a bill to allow for health insurance coverage of medical cannabis Goodbye, Worcester "We have been able to build power in Worcester and bring the issue of racism and institu- tional inequity to the forefront." Isabel Gonzalez-Webster, outgoing director of the nonprofit Worcester Interfaith, announcing her impending departure in January, in order to join a New York City organization calling for police reform BY SLOANE M. PERRON WBJ Staff Writer T he number of Worcester residents who died of opioid- related overdoses rose from 81 in 2019 to 103 in 2020, according to new data released Nov. 10 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Worcester had the second-most opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020 of any Massachusetts community, following Boston, which had a significant spike of 30% to 248 deaths in 2020. e community-level data for 2020 opioid overdose deaths were released by DPH at the same time on Nov. 10 where the agency said 2021 is shaping up to be the deadliest year for opioid overdoses, as the first nine months of this year have since a 1% increase in deaths over 2020, which is the deadliest year on record. Opioid-related deaths require confirmation by the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, so data is usually delayed during that process, making the 2020 community-level data the most up-to-date numbers. For Worcester, one positive of the DPH numbers is fewer people died of opioid overdoses in the city in 2020. e 103 Worcester residents who died in 2020 were counted regardless of what community they died in. As for the number of deaths in Worcester – regardless of what community the deceased was from – dropped 8% from 144 deaths in Worcester in 2019 to 132 deaths in 2020. In 2020, Worcester County had the third highest number of opioid-related deaths in the state, with 282 lives lost. Hampshire County reported 299 deaths Worcester's opioid overdose deaths rose 27% in 2020 while Suffolk County reported 289 deaths. Other Central Massachusetts communities hit hard by the opioid pandemic in 2020 were: • Athol, which rose 100% to 14 resident deaths • Marlborough, which rose 67% to 15 resident deaths • Framingham, which rose 14% to 24 resident deaths • Southbridge, which rose 7% to 15 resident deaths Central Massachusetts communities who saw improvements in opioid deaths in 2020 were: • Gardner, which dropped 33% to 4 resident deaths • Shrewsbury, which dropped 33% to 4 resident deaths • Leominster, which dropped 13% to 13 resident deaths • Fitchburg, which dropped 10% to 19 resident deaths e Commonwealth of Massachusetts received $45 million in federal dollars to support prevention, treatment, and recovery programs for vulnerable populations, per DPH. is federal funding coincides with the state's 2022 fiscal budget which allocates $408 million to address substance misuse. Since March 2020, the DPH has distributed 124,000 naloxone kits to opioid treatment programs, community health centers, hospital emergency departments, and houses of corrections, to help save lives during overdoses. Commissioner for Health and Human Services for the City of Worcester, Dr. Matilde Castiel, responded to the DPH figures saying the increase in opioid overdose cases was known and truly sad. She described how stigma and equity issues further compound the complexities of addiction, especially among communities of color. Black and Latino males were the population most impacted by the opioid epidemic. From 2019 to 2020, the Black community saw a 63% increase in opioid overdoses while the Latino community saw a 12% increase, said Castiel. e only decrease in case numbers came from the population of white males. e opioid overdose death rate for all females in Worcester increased by 15%. Isolation and mental health issues compounded by the COVID pandemic played a role in the increase. e City of Worcester has numerous task forces such as the Mental Health Task Force, Re-Entry Task Force, and Opioid Task Force implementing a multi-faceted approach to prevent opioid overdoses, facilitate housing, and provide mental health/clinical services to those who suffer from substance abuse. "Truly an issue, that through my office in HHS and throughout my career, I have been very interested in and something that I have been working on to bring those numbers down," she said. e stigma of being an addict, and in many cases a previously incarcerated individual, makes the road to recovery even harder, said Castiel. "Addiction is a disease, and it causes changes in your brain's system; and that people, as much as they want to recover, are unable to without medication, without counseling, and without treatment. I don't know one person who suffers from addiction who says 'this is what I want to do', everybody looks to recover," she said. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER W Worcester City Hall

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