Suspected drug overdose death counts have been added to the publicly available My Healthy Community dashboard, the Division of Public Health announced Tuesday.

In collaboration with the Division of Forensic Science, the data can be viewed on the “Drug Overdose Deaths” tab within the “Mental Health & Substance Use” section of the site.

In the first six months of 2023, 247 suspected drug overdose deaths occurred in the state, consistent with the 2022 data of 255 during the same time frame. Monthly data on the dashboard also reflects the record-high counts in November 2022, December 2022 and January 2023, reported by the divisions earlier this year.

These numbers are an early sign of changing trends in Delaware’s opioid overdose epidemic. The suspected deaths, based on forensic investigator scene impressions, are reported to the Division of Public Health within a week of occurrence and are considered preliminary.

The Department of Health and Social Services publishes the year-to-date number of suspected overdose deaths on its website and at helpisherede.com.

For free 24/7 support, call the Delaware Hope Line at 833-9-HOPEDE or visit helpisherede.com.