I think it’s safe to say that most of us are on the same page when it comes to the changes occurring in our climate. The reality we are facing is no longer a question of if things are changing, but more a matter of what that will look like, how it will affect our lives and what can we do about it? In my relatively brief time here I have learned that the core of public health is preventative measures, looking upstream. While it remains true, the bigger conversation is about how to alter our habits which are causing the change, we also must deal with the real impacts already upon us.

Throughout the Berkshires, local health experts increasingly note the urgency of reducing alcohol misuse. The pervasive normalization of alcohol has a strong impact on youth, who report their own use is influenced by attitudes and expectations set by adults (“peer pressure” appears to play a lesser role).

Nationally, alcohol misuse is responsible for approximately 178,000 deaths per year; by comparison, in 2022 drug overdoses accounted for 110,000 deaths. In 2023, 22% of  County adults reported binge or heavy drinking, above state and national averages of 19%. Data from Berkshire Health Systems shows that

Berkshire County continues to take enormous strides to combat the opioid crisis, including an extensive history of proactive practitioner education around pain management, more and more providers able to prescribe buprenorphine, and an increase in harm reduction, recovery, and treatment resources available despite the pandemic. In light of this extraordinary work, it was disheartening to see 62 opioid overdose deaths reported last year, up 11% from the year before and the highest number of recorded deaths.