1.31 Addressing Opioids
EMS (Emergency Medical Services) calls related to suspected opioid abuse from 2017 to 2023, with a future target set for 2027.
1. Increasing Trend in Opioid Abuse Calls: The percentage of EMS calls suspected to involve opioid abuse has steadily increased from 1.9% in 2017 to 3.2% in 2023. This correlates with a growing number of actual opioid-related calls, which rose from 330 in 2017 to 631 in 2023, indicating a significant rise in opioid abuse incidents.
2. Stable Growth in EMS Calls: While the total number of EMS calls has also gradually increased, the growth in opioid-related calls has outpaced the overall increase in EMS incidents, underscoring the growing opioid crisis.
3. Target for 2027: The data shows a clear goal for 2027, aiming to reduce the percentage of suspected opioid abuse calls to 0%. This suggests efforts to drastically reduce opioid abuse, possibly through prevention, education, and intervention programs.
In summary, opioid-related EMS calls are steadily rising despite the increase in total EMS cases, with a goal to eliminate such incidents by 2027.