Drug addiction has become an epidemic in the Big Apple that since 2020 has claimed the lives of at least 17,480 New Yorkers due to overdoses, considered preventable, according to the City’s own Health Department. And it is older adults between 55 and 64 years old, who according to data from 2022 have suffered the brunt, since of the total of 6,300 deaths due to drug excess, 3,026 in the five boroughs (12% more than in 2021), the first place of deaths occurred among people in that age group, with 78.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Between 17 and 19 New Yorkers die each year from overdoses, many of them seniors and older adults, and Black New Yorkers between the ages of 55 and 84 have the highest rate of overdoses compared to Black New Yorkers of other ages.
Overdose deaths among adults ages 45 to 54 in the five boroughs are next on the list, with a death rate of 65.0 per 100,000 people, and overall, fentanyl is the No. 1 killer, present in 81 percent of overdose deaths. Cocaine comes in second at 53 percent. In other findings from health officials, Black New Yorkers have the highest rate of substance abuse deaths at 62.0 percent, followed by Latinos at 53.1 percent and whites at 36.5 percent.
The City Health Department said that by 2023, a higher proportion of New Yorkers aged 45 and older reported receiving treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year than other age groups. 4.0% of New Yorkers aged 45–64 and 4.1% of New Yorkers aged 65 and older reported receiving treatment for SUD in the past year, compared with 2.2% of those aged 18–24 and 2.6% of those aged 25–44. Latino New Yorkers (4.1%) and Black New Yorkers (4.5%) were more likely to report receiving treatment for SUD in the past year compared with white New Yorkers (2.4%).
The reasons why older people use drugs vary, but a lack of options, limited opportunities for those leaving prison, trauma from violent environments, and even ignorance about the effects of substance use or easy access to cheap products sold on the black market, such as fentanyl, are, according to addicts like José Martínez, 66, some of the reasons why they fall into addiction problems.
“Many people still say that they don’t understand why someone would ruin their life by consuming drugs, but I would like to tell those people that I would like to make a change in their lives with them, at least for a day, and then maybe they would have more arguments to give their opinion,” said the Latino, who was incarcerated for several years, and who says that he has not had real support to rebuild his life. “I don’t consume drugs because they are good, I consume to escape, to forget, to continue living, because the reality to which this society condemned me, without drugs, is very hard. They believe that addicts are criminals or delinquents and the truth is that what we are is sick people.”
The father, who claims that due to substance abuse he lost all contact with his loved ones and ended up involved in “a lot of trouble” (problems and unpleasant situations), says it is painful to know that at his age, he does not see a hopeful outlook.
“I know many old people who have been using drugs for a long time, and no one helped them. I know others who started trying drugs when they were old because the depression and loneliness of this city kills, and no one helped them, but it hurts to see that there is no future. They turn their backs on us,” added the Hispanic, who mentions that he has been at risk of dying from an overdose at least three times.
“I would like a nice apartment, a nice job, and to be useful in order to talk to kids and teach them with my story, but the truth is that they push us aside, we smell bad to everyone,” said the elderly man. “Naloxone has saved me, but I think they should fund more places where one goes to get high safely and receive help there. Those places are the ones that serve and save lives.”
The outlook is alarming and from different sectors, both from official agencies and from organizations that defend vulnerable communities and watch over populations that face drug addiction, seen as a public health issue, the consensus is in tune with Martínez. There is a lack of greater support for addicted people of advanced ages, as well as investments that provide resources and education on drug use, instead of criminalizing those who use them. In fact, reports show that 81% of Americans blame drug users for their situation.
“Black New Yorkers between the ages of 55 and 84 had the highest rate of overdoses compared to Black New Yorkers in other age groups and compared to Latinos and whites
New Yorkers of any age. This underscores the need for our strategies to be anti-racist and responsive to New Yorkers who are chronically underserved and increasingly at risk for adverse life and health outcomes as they age,” said Toni Smith-Thompson, Director of the New York Drug Policy Alliance.
The advocate for drug users stressed that the situation is more worrying among vulnerable communities, as older Latino New Yorkers had the second largest increase in overdose deaths, and urged a halt to measures that penalize them.
“The overdose crisis is a crisis among our seniors and the leading cause of accidental death overall. As we expand evidence-based harm reduction strategies, we must continue to move away from the war on drugs. The increased criminalization of the illicit drug market continues to create more harm as drug users and sellers inherently bind together,” Smith-Thompson said. “A response based on criminalization is not the answer. Allowing people to go to Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) offers a way to prevent overdose.”
Steven Gray, coordinator of the Drug Policy Campaign for VOCAL-NY, joined the call for those with drug abuse problems in New York, including seniors, not to be abandoned, and blamed the administration of Governor Hochul for the lack of actions that could have saved and can save those who suffer from overdoses.
“Governor Hochul has not created health tools to keep people who use drugs safe. There is a clear lack of political will that has led to the loss of 19 lives every day, many of them seniors,” said the community leader. “While in other states overdose deaths have decreased, in contrast in New York they continue to rise and we continue to see that this occurs more among black and Latino seniors.”
And in the midst of this problem, there are support programs from different sides to try to prevent more lives of older adults from being lost due to drug overdoses, which is why they call for people to take advantage of the available support services.
That’s according to Department of Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, who noted that with seniors confined to their homes and those who attend nursing homes, case managers are tasked with assessing the needs of the elderly residents they work with, including drug addiction.
“As part of the community care model, there are more than 300 senior centers across the city staffed with the knowledge and information to help residents with their members’ needs, including those who are addicted to drugs,” said Adams. “If the person agrees, they can be referred to an organization that can help. This is in addition to the programs and services these centers provide every day that help their members.”
The Commissioner added that more than 80 senior centers have a Geriatric Mental Health program, where authorized physicians can evaluate an older adult and refer them to an organization that can provide the necessary assistance.
“We encourage those struggling with addiction to visit their local senior center, which can be found on our website, or call Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469) for assistance,” she said, adding that individual needs are determined through screening in Spanish.
Another source of support is the Overdose Prevention Centers (OnPoint NYC), which help thousands of New Yorkers consume drugs safely, but warns that multi-sector investments are needed to address the drug addiction crisis among older adults.
Brittney Vargas-Estrella, chief operating officer of OnPoint NYC, said that with changes in the drug supply, the risks associated with drug use are increasing, and she called on government officials to respond to the crisis in the same way they address other health risks for seniors.
“They must provide safe places for seniors to rest, receive needed care and services, and have companionship and community with others. Our overdose prevention centers provide this, and many of our participants are in the age groups that die at the highest rates,” said OnPoint NYC’s COO.
“Most of the ‘older’ participants we serve have been using drugs for many years. They have been through treatment programs multiple times and have generational trauma that institutions have ignored throughout their lives,” she added, noting the negative effect that homelessness adds to the problem. “The housing crisis also contributes to the overdose crisis among older people. People on fixed or limited incomes are vulnerable to rising housing costs and overdose death is the leading cause of death among people who are homeless.”
Where to get help if you have problems with substance abuse
- 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469)
- You can call the HOPE line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-877 8467369
- You can also send a text message to 467369
- More information can be found at https://oasas.ny.gov/hopeline
- For information about the OnePoint NY program, please visit https://onpointnyc.org/
Facts about drug addiction in NY
- There are 1.1 million seniors in NYC
- 13% of the total population are elderly people
- 17,480 New Yorkers and more have died from drug overdoses since 2020
- 55 to 64 years old is the number 1 age group for overdose victims
- 6,300 drug-related deaths were recorded across NY in 2022
- 3,026 of those deaths occurred in the Big Apple
- 12% more than in 2021
- 78.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants occurred among adults over 55 years of age
- 17 to 19 New Yorkers die each year from overdoses in NY, many of them seniors and elderly
- 81% of overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl
- 53% of deaths also involved cocaine.
- 53.1% of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants is the figure for deaths of Latinos due to overdose