RI health officials issue advisory after overdose activity spike

By: Alexander Castro

Outlets: Rhode Island Current

Published: March 18, 2026

Words: 682

Last Updated: 2 days, 16 hours ago

Body Text Preview

A statewide spike in suspected, non-fatal drug overdoses last week — 55 in all — triggered the threshold for a public alert from the Rhode Island Department of Health for the first time in three years.

For the period between March 10 and March 16, there were 55 people who received emergency department care for what appeared non-lethal overdoses, the health department said in a press release Wednesday.

The health department’s benchmark for a public …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us