Massachusetts opioid-related overdose deaths fell below 1,000 last year for the first time in more than a decade, continuing a steep decline from the height of the overdose crisis, according to preliminary state data.
UMass Memorial Health marks that progress Wednesday during its annual International Overdose Awareness Day ceremony in Worcester, while honoring those who have died and recognizing families and communities still affected by substance use disorder.
Preliminary data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health show 978 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in 2025, down from 1,336 in 2024. The figure represents a nearly 60% decline from 2022, when Massachusetts recorded a peak of 2,364 opioid-related overdose deaths.
The Worcester ceremony begins at noon Wednesday, Aug. 26, on the Campus Green in front of the Ambulatory Care Center at UMass Memorial Medical Center, 55 Lake Ave. North.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m., members of the public will be invited to personalize memorial flags and plant purple butterflies in remembrance of people who have died from overdoses.
This year’s display will feature fewer memorial flags than in recent years, reflecting the decline in overdose deaths while serving as a reminder of the lives still being lost, according to UMass Memorial’s announcement.
The ceremony will bring together UMass Memorial caregivers and leaders, families and community members. State Rep. Kate Donaghue and Dr. Jennifer Bradford, medical director for Worcester’s Health and Human Services Department, are also expected to participate.
UMass Memorial said the event focuses on factors believed to be contributing to the decline in fatal overdoses, including wider access to naloxone, treatment and recovery programs, health care interventions and community outreach.
Despite the improvement, organizers said the ceremony is intended to recognize the continuing toll of substance use disorder on individuals, families and communities across Central Massachusetts.
International Overdose Awareness Day is observed annually to remember people who have died from overdoses, reduce stigma surrounding drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind.
