Note: We update this information biannually.
Note: This page uses data from the Office of the State Medical Examiners (OSME). You can find Monthly Overdose Data on the Rhode Island Department of Health website.
Note: Visualizations are currently in transition of being configured to read from the RIDOH Data Hub. There may be some discrepancies between each chart and its data source.
Overdose affects communities across Rhode Island:
In Rhode Island, every town has seen an overdose. This map uses information from the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office to show in what town overdoses happened.
Overdoses are caused by prescription medications and illicit drugs
Rhode Island’s overdose crisis began with prescription drugs, but overdose deaths from prescription drugs have leveled. Deaths from illicit drugs, such as heroin and fentanyl, are on the rise.
Fentanyl-related overdoses are on the rise
Fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, poses a great threat and worsens our overdose crisis. The number of overdose deaths related to illicit fentanyl has increased by almost 30-fold since 2009. In 2020, over 70% of overdose deaths have involved illicit fentanyl.
About 3 in 4 people who die of an overdose are men
All age groups are affected, but most overdoses occur among adults
Interested in more Overdose Death Data?
To begin, try clicking on different Age, Gender, and Substance options on the right side of the graph.