By Adam Swift
There has been a downturn in opioid-related overdose deaths and reported overdoses over the last several years in Revere, according to representatives from the city’s health department.
The information came as part of a presentation to the city council on the use of opioid abatement trust fund money over the past fiscal year and plans for the funds for the coming year. The council voted to appropriate $239,000 from the trust fund for FY27 for opioid recovery and abatement programs.
Before discussing the funding, city health director Lauren Buck reviewed two data points she presented to the council.
“I think they highlight some promising trends,” said Buck. “The first one shows the opioid overdose deaths … from 2016 to 2024. You can see that 2022, 2023, 2024; we’ve had a decreasing amount of opioid deaths.”
The information from the state’s substance use initiative bureau showed a decrease of 10 percent in overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023 and a decrease of 15 percent from 2023 to 2024. Buck said the data for 2025 should be out in July.
Data from the Revere Police Department also shows a positive trend, Buck said.
“It’s not necessarily comprehensive data that shows the complete picture of overdoses because there are many overdoses that happen, potentially, where someone doesn’t call 911 or they go right to the hospital and don’t use a first responder,” said Buck. “But this is a good picture that shows, as well, that we are decreasing in the total amount of overdoses for the last several years.”
In 2022, the police and fire departments responded to 149 overdoses. In 2023, that number went down to 122; and 2024 and 2025 saw a further decline to 75 and 55 responses respectively.
CarrieAnn Salemme and Nicole Palermo from the city’s Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Initiatives (SUDHI) office reviewed the use of the opioid abatement settlement funds Revere has received over the past year.
The three major areas the funds have been used for include housing; community engagement and prevention; and harm reduction.
Salemme said the contracted programs offered through the settlement funds highlight the importance of low-threshold harm reduction, outreach, case management, housing support, access to medical and behavioral healthcare services, improving the quality of life, and reducing the strain on emergency response systems within the city.
In the coming fiscal year, Palermo said the money set aside for housing will be more flexible in order to help people with things other than just sober living.
“This could help people with things like moving expenses if they are just getting on their feet again and they don’t have any furniture because they are just coming off the streets,” she said.
The FY27 budget would also include funding for a high-intensity case manager to help people learn how to live independently once again. In addition, Palermo said the city will also be renewing its contract for a street medicine program.