Drug overdose deaths in New Jersey have leaped 20% this year amid a pandemic that advocates fear has exacerbated drug abuse and made it harder for those with addictions to secure treatment.
New Jersey saw 1,339 people die of suspected drug overdoses in the first five months of the year, 225 more than were recorded in 2019 over the same time period, according to NJ Cares, the state’s drug information dashboard.
Though increases were seen even before the outbreak, May’s figures were alarming, officials said, when suspected deaths reached a high of 307 — nearly 10 a day.