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.