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Governor’s Overdose Task Force Marks 10 Years of Efforts to Reduce Drug Fatalities

Published on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Overdose deaths in the first half of this year have decreased by 33% overall, compared to the first six months of 2024.

PROVIDENCE – The December 10, 2025, monthly meeting of the Governor’s Overdose Task Force was a special one as it marked a decade of challenging work and dedicated commitment to reduce drug overdose deaths in Rhode Island.

In the first six months of 2025, 130 individuals lost their lives to accidental overdose in Rhode Island. The event honored those lives lost, and highlighted the progress that has been made in recent years, which include:

  • Overdose deaths in the first half of this year have decreased by 33% overall, compared to the first six months of 2024;
  • and the rate of overdose has gone down across every racial and ethnic group.

Established in 2015, the Task Force is a statewide coalition of professionals and community members with the goal of preventing overdoses and saving lives. Its mission was set to develop a statewide strategy to prevent and treat substance use disorder and to lower the number of overdose deaths that were occurring at that time. It remains today an important body in the continuing goals to save and improve people’s lives. The anniversary meeting acknowledged the thousands of Rhode Islanders who lost their lives to overdose since the Task Force’s inception. It also honored the many individuals, organizations, and State agencies and departments involved in statewide overdose prevention and harm reduction efforts and by improving access to treatment, recovery support, and other behavioral health services. 

“Today, we honor 10 years of standing together in response to one of the most serious public health challenges of our times,” said Governor Dan McKee. “As we continue to mourn the thousands of lives lost, we make meaningful progress. This reflects the incredible dedication of community partners, many of them bringing invaluable lived experience to their work. Preventing overdose deaths and improving people’s lives remains one of my top priorities, as outlined in my 2030 plan.”

“Our path forward requires listening to communities, investing in prevention and harm reduction, expanding access to evidence-based treatment, and strengthening recovery support,” said Cathy Schultz, Governor’s Overdose Task Force Director. “It’s also a result of our whole-of-government and community partnership approach that keeps community voices at the center.”  

“The last 10 years are proof that when we work together, lives are saved and improved,” said Alex Gautieri, Task Force Community Co-Chair. “We must continue to build on the momentum of our efforts and the knowledge we’ve acquired so far.” 

“It is encouraging to see the decline in fatal overdose deaths here in Rhode Island, and across the U.S.,” said Task Force Co-Chair and BHDDH Director Richard Leclerc. “At the same time, we know that addressing substance use addiction remains challenging due to the complexity of human behavior and an ever-changing drug supply. That is why we must continue to work together at the state and local levels to reach people with interventions that will save lives.” 

"The latest RIDOH data not only show a promising downward trend in overall overdose deaths but also highlight progress across all racial and ethnic groups,” said RIDOH Director Dr. Jerry Larkin. “This underscores the importance of continuing our targeted, evidence-based interventions to save lives and reduce the impacts of overdose on families and communities."

In November 2022, the Governor signed an Executive Order that enhanced the existing strategies of the Task Force’s Action Plan in the areas of Prevention, Treatment, Rescue, and Recovery. This included authorizing the hiring of a Task Force director and community co-chair. The Action Plan was expanded once more in 2023. The Task Force has set a 2030 goal to reduce fatal overdoses by 30%, returning fatal overdose rates to below 2019 levels.

The Task Force has a strategic plan to end the overdose crisis – changing lives by ensuring equity, uplifting community voices, using data to drive change, and building connections to care. To achieve these goals and improve people’s lives, the following approaches have been adopted by the strategic plan: 

  • Use Data to Drive Action: Initiating a Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) local-level response plan in highest burden communities and targeting private locations.
  • Prevention: Implementing primary prevention across the lifespan.
  • Expanded Harm Reduction: Continuing and increasing targeted fentanyl-focused harm reduction services.
  • Targeted Rescue Activity: Sustaining targeted naloxone distribution to people who use drugs and their families, including private locations.
  • Ensuring Equity: Increasing targeted harm reduction and treatment for non-Hispanic Black and non-white Hispanic populations.
  • Increasing Access to Treatment: Improving access to treatment and ensuring treatment on demand.
  • Recovery Supports: Increasing recovery support, which lowers the risk of overdose related deaths by addressing substance and opioid use.

The Task Force and its work groups meet on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and are always welcoming new volunteers. Work groups include Prevention, Rescue, Harm Reduction, Treatment, Recovery, First Responder, Racial Equity, Perinatal Substance Use, and Family Task Force. To learn more, visit Prevent Overdose RI.

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