Governor Murphy on Thursday said that he is committed to ending the opioid epidemic in New Jersey using a “comprehensive, data-driven collaboration across several state departments” after releasing statistics showing that overdose deaths had increased in 2020 in the Garden State. 

2020 year-end data showed that there were 3,046 suspected overdose deaths in New Jersey, slightly higher than in 2019 when the state recorded 3,021 overdose deaths, a somewhat good sign considering the fears that 2020 would see a massive spike in overdose deaths due to Covid-19-related stressors.

In a statement, Governor Murphy’s office said that his approach to tackling the overdose epidemic “includes increasing access to evidence-based prevention and treatment programs in our communities, supporting individuals on their path to and maintenance of recovery, supporting data-driven work and strengthening system-wide infrastructure, and using robust law enforcement to stem the supply of illicit drugs.”

The governor also acknowledged his support for a package of bills on overdose prevention and recovery and pledged his support for a bill to expand low-barrier access to naloxone, better known as Narcan, a drug which reverses the effects of drug overdoses in a matter of moments and has saved countless lives when quickly administered to overdose patients.

Some oppose expanding access to Narcan, pointing to research which shows that drug overdoses do not decrease when naloxone is widely available, due to drug users’ comfort with pushing their limits under the often-false assumption that someone will save them with Narcan if they overdose.