New Jersey Addiction Research 2024: Abuse Facts, Overdose Rates, and Rehabilitation Statistics

In 2021, the number of overdose deaths in New Jersey (NJ) rose to an all-time high of 3047—likely a result of lockdown-caused distress and the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the number has dropped to 2564 in 2023 and 1180 in the first eight months of 2024. 

But while NJ drug overdose deaths have fallen sharply in the past two years, they’re still alarmingly high. Let’s look at some statistics about the state’s substance abuse problems.

Key Takeaways:

• From January to August 2024, New Jersey experienced 1,180 suspected overdose deaths, with April being the month with the highest number of fatalities.
• In the first eight months of 2024, the average number of overdose deaths per month in New Jersey’s 21 counties was 147.5.
• Drug overdose deaths declined in 17 of New Jersey’s 21 counties during the first half of 2024, with Cape May, Somerset, and Hunterdon seeing increases.
• The majority of overdose deaths between January and August 2024 were among males (847), with females accounting for 319 deaths.
• People aged 35-44 had the highest rate of drug overdoses in New Jersey between January and August 2024.
• In 2023, there were 2,564 overdose deaths in New Jersey, with Essex and Camden counties having the highest numbers.
• In 2022, alcohol and heroin were the most misused substances in New Jersey, with 31,807 and 30,933 users, respectively. 

General Insights 

General substance abuse, overdose, and rehabilitation statistics for New Jersey include:

• From January 2024 to August 2024, there were 1180 suspected overdose deaths in New Jersey, according to the NJ Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner (OCSME). 
• In the first eight months of 2024, there were an average of 147.5 overdose deaths in the 21 counties of New Jersey, according to OCSME. April was the month with the highest number of overdose deaths. 

• In the first six months of 2024, drug deaths declined in 17 of the total 21 counties in NJ but rose in three—Cape May, Somerset, and Hunterdon. The drug overdose death rate remained stable in Sussex, which reported 16 deaths. 
• Out of the 1,180 people who died from drug overdose between January and August 2024, 847 were male, 319 were female, and one was unknown. 
• According to the NJ OSCME, 629 people who died from drug overdose between January and August 2024 were White, 311 were African-American, 178 were Hispanic, and 15 were Asian/Pacific Islanders. 
• People aged 35-44 were the demographic with the highest rate of drug overdoses in NJ between January and August 2024.  

• According to preliminary data from OCSME, there were 2,564 overdose deaths in New Jersey in 2023, with Essex and Camden topping the list.

County	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total overdose deaths
Atlantic	20	14	23	15	9	19	12	12	13	13	16	13	179
Bergen	11	16	19	11	11	11	4	9	11	10	7	10	130
Burlington	14	11	7	13	16	10	15	7	9	10	9	7	128
Camden	29	19	33	37	34	27	19	30	25	27	22	24	326
Cape May	2	2	2	5	2	0	7	5	1	3	2	2	33
Cumberland	7	10	4	5	11	8	3	4	8	8	5	3	76
Essex	39	33	33	50	38	37	34	48	27	44	26	38	447
Gloucester	3	8	7	8	5	8	9	7	7	6	6	8	82
Hudson	20	11	13	15	19	17	23	16	11	16	15	10	186
Hunterdon	1	0	0	0	2	1	2	2	0	2	0	1	11
Mercer	12	11	13	9	8	8	10	6	6	10	8	7	108
Middlesex	16	10	15	13	11	19	10	13	7	11	11	9	145
Monmouth	10	8	19	13	8	9	15	10	12	13	8	10	135
Morris	4	5	2	8	5	7	9	4	2	6	10	7	69
Ocean	13	17	11	14	23	16	11	9	19	12	6	17	168
Passaic	15	14	11	14	8	11	15	8	8	7	11	12	134
Salem	0	5	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	3	2	5	28
Somerset	2	3	3	4	3	0	2	4	1	3	4	2	31
Sussex	2	5	4	1	4	0	1	3	1	1	1	0	23
Union	8	7	6	4	13	11	7	6	9	4	8	12	95
Warren	1	2	3	1	2	0	3	6	2	2	4	1	27

Source: ocsme.nj.gov

• According to the 2022 Substance Use Statewide Overview, there were 18,137 intravenous drug users in New Jersey in 2022. 
• In 2022, 31,807 (37%) of NJ residents used alcohol, 30,933 (36%) used heroin, 6,553 (8%) used other opiates, 5,005 (6%) used cocaine, 5,610 (7%) used synthetic cannabinoids/marijuana, 3,172 (2%) used methamphetamine/other stimulants, and 3,172 (4%) used other drugs.  
• According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, there were a total of 85,266 treatment admissions for drug complications and rehabilitation in NJ in 2022.  
• Out of the 85,266 people admitted for treatment in NJ, 16,505 received outpatient care, 17,244 got detox residential care, and 17,207 received intensive outpatient care. 

• In 2022, there were a total of 2,892 suspected drug overdose deaths, according to OSME. 
• In 2022, Essex and Camden had the highest rates of drug-related deaths at 450 and 354, respectively. 

County	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total overdose deaths
Atlantic	16	16	17	20	18	27	22	29	19	21	19	31	255
Bergen	26	14	18	14	18	8	15	13	14	14	17	15	186
Burlington	12	16	15	10	18	10	10	13	11	12	10	14	151
Camden	34	25	34	23	31	31	26	35	31	40	24	20	354
Cape May	10	3	2	5	1	1	6	2	7	1	6	0	44
Cumberland	7	2	3	12	5	10	8	5	5	6	6	7	76
Essex	42	41	32	35	32	35	44	33	48	38	34	36	450
Gloucester	9	9	12	7	3	10	8	3	3	6	10	6	86
Hudson	15	10	14	17	14	14	10	14	19	10	11	19	167
Hunterdon	1	1	2	1	1	1	2	2	0	3	2	2	18
Mercer	9	8	18	8	10	6	6	5	8	16	5	9	108
Middlesex	26	16	14	18	22	15	12	15	17	18	19	17	209
Monmouth	9	11	13	14	17	15	12	10	12	11	12	15	151
Morris	5	5	6	8	7	4	2	7	6	7	5	2	64
Ocean	26	10	16	12	17	12	13	13	18	15	16	18	186
Passaic	21	8	14	11	11	11	9	7	12	17	11	11	143
Salem	2	4	3	0	1	2	2	1	0	4	1	2	22
Somerset	4	4	5	4	3	10	3	6	0	4	1	6	50
Sussex	1	2	5	4	3	2	0	2	0	4	2	3	28
Union	7	7	15	10	12	7	11	6	8	9	11	11	114
Warren	2	3	4	3	2	3	2	4	3	1	1	2	30

Source: ocsme.nj.gov

• According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, drug deaths peaked in January 2022 to 284 for all counties and fell to 246 by December 2022. This is a 13.3% decrease.

New Jersey County Statistics 

Here are substance overdose and treatment admission rates for five counties in NJ. 

Camden

• In 2024, Camden County saw a 39% decrease in drug deaths—around 70 fewer deaths—compared to 2023. However, the county still had the highest number of overdose deaths compared to any other New Jersey county, except Essex. 
• Out of the total 85,266 treatment admissions for drug complications and therapy in NJ in 2022, 7,390 people were from Camden County—the third-highest number of admissions among all counties.  

Essex

• In the first six months of 2024, there were 182 drug deaths in Essex compared to 230 in the same period last year. This is a 21% drop. 
• In 2022, 8,194 Essex County residents were admitted to therapy in NJ. This was the highest number of admissions in the state during that year. 

Hunterdon

• According to the New Jersey Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, Hunterdon saw a 50% increase in drug overdose deaths, from four in the first six months of 2023 to six during the same period in 2024. 
• In 2022, 731 Hunterdon residents were admitted to therapy—the lowest rate in NJ. 

Cape May

• In the first six months of 2024, Cape May reported 18 drug overdose-related deaths compared to 13 in 2023. This is a 39% increase. 
• According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 2,322 Cape May residents were admitted to therapy and rehab clinics in 2022.  

Somerset 

• From January 2024 to June 2024, Somerset Country saw an 87% increase in drug deaths (28 deaths) compared to 2023, which only saw 15 deaths in the same period, according to the New Jersey Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. This was the largest increase compared to all counties. 
• In 2022, 1,632 Somerset residents were admitted to therapy compared to 1,566 in 2021. This is a 4.2% increase. 

FAQs

What Is the Overdose Rate in New Jersey?

There were 1,080 overdose deaths in all 21 counties of New Jersey in the first eight months of 2024, according to the New Jersey Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. This is 26% lower than the 1,366 suspected deaths reported during the same period in 2023. 

Which Drugs Have the Highest Rate of Misuse in New Jersey?

According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, alcohol and heroin were the most misused drugs in New Jersey in 2022. They were followed by other opiates (e.g., fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone) and cocaine. 

What Is the Rate of Valium Addiction in New Jersey?

While Valium has a high potential for misuse, it is rarely used as such in New Jersey when compared to opioids, stimulants, and cannabinoids. Learn more in our post on Valium addiction statistics.

Data Sources

1. https://www.nj.gov/oag/njcares/pdfs/2021-NJ-Confirmed-Overdose-Deaths-12-31-21.pdf

2. https://ocsme.nj.gov/Dashboard?_gl=1*11sqv8l*_ga*MTMwOTYzMzcyOS4xNjQ3ODg1ODEy*_ga_5PWJJG6642*MTY0Nzg5MDQ4MS4yLjEuMTY0Nzg5MDUxMC4w

3. https://www.njoag.gov/programs/nj-cares/nj-cares-suspected-overdose-deaths/

4. https://www.nj.gov/oag/njcares/pdfs/2022-NJ-Suspected-Overdose-Deaths-12-31-22.pdf

5. https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/publications/statistical/Substance%20Abuse%20Overview/2022/Statewide.pdf

6. https://www.nj.gov/oag/njcares/pdfs/2021-NJ-Confirmed-Overdose-Deaths-12-31-21.pdf

7. https://www.njoag.gov/programs/nj-cares/nj-cares-data-by-county/

8. https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/publications/statistical/Substance%20Abuse%20Overview/2021/statewide.pdf9. https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/07/19/new-jersey-drug-deaths-plummet-in-first-half-of-2024/