Overdoses

BOSTON (AP) — Non-fatal overdoses in Massachusetts had soared by 200 percent from 2001 to 2015, with the total number of non-fatal overdoses during that period topping 65,000. That's one finding of a report released Wednesday by Republican Gov...

NEW BEDFORD - Staggering totals as New Bedford Police release the number of opioid overdose calls they responded to in 2016. Last year, police reported a total of 679 overdoses, with 42 deaths resulting. That's nearly twice the amount of overdoses in 2015, when police responded to 389 overdoses with 25 deaths...

As the entire state is dealing with an opioid addiction one local activist has made a controversial proposal.

It's a story that's becoming all too familiar on the Southcoast - people overdosing on heroin and powerful painkillers while driving. Within the past few months, police departments across the region have reported accidents and other cases where the driver of a vehicle was found unresponsive with drug paraphernalia in the passenger seat next to them...

A Plymouth man died after overdosing on heroin twice in less than 12 hours.

The City of New Bedford saw a rash of heroin overdoses Monday. Detective Captain Steve Vicente says four overdoses were reported to police within a matter of seven hours. One of the victims was found slumped over the steering wheel of his truck near his home in the South End...

Everyone must understand that addiction is a disease. Just recently, as young as a 14-year old from Acushnet, we read about overdoses each and every new week in New Bedford. Everyone from local authorities, to the governor, are concerned about this public health crisis as we now look at a city to the north of us in Brockton.

Forty Massachusetts communities, including New Bedford, are receiving state funds to help stockpile supplies of a drug that can counter opioid overdoses. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's administration on Wednesday announced the $700,000 in grants that will go to many of the state's larger cities, along with smaller communities that have averaged four or more opioid overdose deaths in recent years.

Beacon Hill observers say opioid abuse remains a top legislative priority. The House last week supported a bill that increases penalties for persons with ten grams or more of fentanyl, and Gov. Baker is set to file recommendations this week to address the drug overdose crisis...

If you drive by the Acushnet Central Fire Station on Main St. you will see a row of purple flags displayed in front, each one representing an overdose that the fire department has had to respond to this year.