Coroners report 88 percent fewer in 2024
Deaths from opioid overdoses in Putnam dropped from 22 in 2022 and 16 in 2023 to two in 2024, according to the Coroner’s Office.
In 2024, far more people in Putnam died from accidental deaths (15) and suicides (12) than overdoses, the Coroner’s Office told the Legislature on Feb. 13.Â
Dutchess County also saw a decrease. It recorded 38 deaths in 2024 through Sept. 30, which was 58 percent fewer than 2023 and 64 percent fewer than 2022, according to Jean-Marie Niebuhr, the county commissioner of mental health.
Nationally, the reported number of overdose deaths fell by 24 percent between September 2023 and September 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York state had an even larger decrease, at 26 percent.Â
Two is still too many, but it’s a relief to see that number fall.