Based on the results of a year-long assessment of state-level epidemiological data, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has identified unintentional (i.e., non-suicidal) fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses as a priority public health issue. Poisonings, which include drug overdoses, are the leading cause of injury death in Massachusetts surpassing the number of deaths from motor vehicle injuries. The proportion of poisoning deaths associated with an opioid-related poisoning increased from 28% in 1990 to 68% in 2005. Across the state, opioid-related fatal overdoses tend to be most prevalent among white males aged 35 to 54 years. In Fall River between 2003 and 2006, the number of fatal opioid-related overdose deaths totaled 60 and non-fatal overdoses totaled 205. In response to these large numbers, the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) issued a requests for proposals inviting communities to apply for three-year grants to implement SAMHSA's five-step Strategic Prevention Framework to reduce these numbers. The Fall River Department of Health and Human Services was awarded one of these contracts in July, 2008, and work began in August to begin planning for the use of these funds. For more information about the project, contact Project Coordinator Jenna Lagasse at 508-324-2415.