[Excerpt of feature article by Meghan Friedmann, August 31, 2021]
NEW HAVEN - Fatal overdoses in the New Haven area increased by 40 percent between 2019 and 2020, reaching a record high, according to a DataHaven report.
The rising prevalence of the powerful opioid fentanyl coupled with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which stifled resources and caused social and economic distress, are likely factors in the increase, experts said.