Podcast interview: Opioid epidemic hits New England hard 
Boston Fed writer, photographer discuss what they learned from those facing the crisis
Alex Cronin/Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
The Boston Fed has long studied New England’s opioid crisis because of its devastating economic impacts. And the COVID-19 pandemic made things worse.
In 2021, for instance, the rate of overdose deaths in New England was higher than the national average in every state but New Hampshire – and Maine’s rate was fifth-highest in the U.S., according to the CDC. And in 2022, more than 2,300 people in Massachusetts died of opioid-related overdoses, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Boston Fed writer Amanda Blanco and photographer Steve Osemwenkhae went to Bath, Maine, and Worcester, Massachusetts, to meet people who are facing addiction and helping others overcome it.
Their story was headlined, “‘More funerals than weddings:’ Opioids hit New England hard, devastating families, the economy.” In this episode of Six Hundred Atlantic, we talk to Blanco and Osemwenkhae about what they’ve learned about the crisis from those facing and fighting it.
Listen on the Six Hundred Atlantic episode page.
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About the Authors
Jay Lindsay is a member of the communications team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Email: jay.lindsay@bos.frb.org
Site Topics
Keywords
- opioid use disorder ,
- opioid use disorder (OUD) ,
- community development ,
- COVID-19 pandemic
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