Drug Overdose Information

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of RI accidental deaths, with more people dying annually from overdoses than die from fires, firearms, and car crashes combined. We are continuing to lose lives needlessly to a disease that has effective treatment.

Drug overdoses can be either accidental or intentional. Accidental overdoses are unintentional, usually occurring when the wrong drug was taken in error or someone accidentally uses too much of a drug. Intentional overdoses are purposely self-inflicted, such as someone trying to commit suicide. Regardless of the intent, any loss of life due to an overdose is tragic and any overdose can have a lasting impact.

Please visit the following websites for more information about drug overdoses, particularly involving opioids:

• Prevent Overdose RI
  • Find the latest data, helpful resources on overdose, where to get naloxone, how to get into treatment, and find events near you.
• RIDOH's Drug Overdose Surveillance Data Hub
  • Rhode Island's Department of Health Drug Overdose Surveillance Data Hub provides several sources of non-fatal and fatal overdose data with a special focus on municipal, county, and statewide trends. 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation, with a mission to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.