Data released Thursday from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health show a stunning increase in the number of heroin and prescription drug-related deaths.
Gov. Charlie Baker says he wants to make local data available every month. But for now the most recent full-year number is from 2013. That shows a projected 978 deaths from unintentional opioid overdoses. That’s a 46 percent jump over the year before.
"More people died from an opioid related overdose then died from a motor vehicle accident," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Mary Lou Sutter.
As a first step in addressing the issue, Baker is bringing together a task force 16 of people — including Attorney General Maura Healey — to go around the state and hold public hearings and make recommendations. Last year, former Gov. Deval Patrick convened an opioid task force of 36 people. Sutter says this new, smaller group will be more nimble.
