Why you may see a lot of purple today

Also: Is New England underestimating heat deaths? Mary Skipper's first report card [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 31, 2023 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 74. Good Morning Boston, From [City Hall]( to [Boston Common]( to the Zakim Bridge, you'll be seeing a lot of purple across the region today. That's because it's International Overdose Awareness Day. The symbolic displays come after Massachusetts [set a record for opioid overdose deaths last year](. Here's a look at the numbers and what the state is doing about it: (Courtesy Massachusetts Department of Public Health) - Six and a half: That's how many people, on average, died each day in Massachusetts from overdoses in 2022, according to state estimates. Preliminary data put the total number at 2,357 deaths — a 2.5% increase over the previous high in 2021. [As WBUR's Martha Bebinger recently reported]( among racial groups, the most dramatic increase (42%) was among Black residents, while Native Americans had the state's highest overall per-capita rate of overdose deaths by far. Worcester County saw the largest increase in the state, at 18%. - What new is being done about it: You should start seeing Narcan, the nasal spray used to reverse overdoses, showing up on store shelves in the coming week. WBUR's Deborah Becker [reports that major pharmacy chains like Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS plan to sell the drug beginning early next month]( after the FDA voted this past spring to allow Narcan to be sold over the counter. - What it costs: It [depends on your health insurance](. Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover the cost of over-the-counter Narcan for members. MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, will do the same. But if you have insurance through Harvard Pilgrim Health Care or Tufts Health Plan — or have no insurance — it will cost $45 for a two-dose pack, a price Deb reports [advocates fear may be prohibitive]( for those most in need of the drug. - On the ground: Other harm reduction strategies have emerged this summer in Massachusetts, including vending machines that dispense clean needles and an overdose prevention hotline. The new budget also includes money [to stock the MBTA's Red Line stations with publicly accessible Narcan](. Meanwhile, a handful of local programs have [started handing out test strips for xylazine]( a type of animal tranquilizer often found in street drugs that increases the risk of overdose and death. - What's next: Four years ago, a state commission [recommended]( trying out so-called supervised consumption sites, though [proposals on Beacon Hill went nowhere]( under Gov. Charlie Baker. Gov. Maura Healey, however, has voiced support for supervised consumption sites and her administration is aiming to finish a feasibility study by the end of the year. (Somerville has also been [slowly pursuing a plan of its own]( - The big picture: Massachusetts isn't alone here. The U.S. also set a record for drug overdose deaths in 2022, driven by fentanyl. NPR has [a look at the national data here](. - Getting on the road this Labor Day weekend? Now might be a good time to leave. AAA Northeast says congestion on the highways will start to pick up this afternoon around 2 p.m. - What about tomorrow? The advice is to leave even earlier. AAA spokesperson Mark Schieldrop told WBUR's Samantha Coetzee that traffic will get worse by about 11 a.m. tomorrow. - And the return leg? Schieldrop expects both Monday and Tuesday afternoon traffic to be heavy coming back into the Boston area. "We expect things to be pretty busy," he said. "A lot of that travel has already started in earnest with the rise of hybrid work and flexible schedules. It seems that many folks are taking additional days surrounding the Labor Day holiday to really extend that three day weekend into a five, six or even a seven day vacation." - Add this to [the list of next month's MBTA service disruptions]( The postponed closure of the Green Line Extension's branch to Union Square is back on the schedule. Due to MassDOT work on the nearby Route 28 bridge, the one-stop leg will close for 25 days starting on Sept. 18 — a reduced timespan from [the originally planned 42 days](. - To note: There'll be no shuttle bus service to Union Square during the closure. MassDOT is encouraging those who use the station to take the nearby 86, 91 and CT2 bus routes as an alternative, or walk to the GLX's Medford Branch, which will remain open. - What the Fluff? The Boston Globe [reports that Somerville officials aren't happy about the timing of the closure]( which coincides with [the popular Fluff festival in Union Square]( on Sept. 23. MassDOT says it plans to talk to Union Square's business group about "any potential mitigation options." P.S.— Sept. 1, the Boston area’s biggest moving day, is almost here. While you may need to entice family and friends with free pizza and beer to lug your furniture and boxes into your new place, we can help you unpack your moving priorities to get settled sooner. Check out [our moving-to-Boston checklist here]( and then [sign up for our soon-to-launch newsletter]( with a series of guides to everything Boston newcomers need to know to feel more at home in the city. (If you’re someone who’s already settled in, forward this to a new-to-Boston friend, family member or colleague who could use the free tips!) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Most New England states don’t track ‘heat-related’ deaths. Experts say that’s a problem]( Public health experts aren't sure how many people die because of the heat each year, because there's no standard for what constitutes a "heat-related" death. [Read more.]( [Most New England states don’t track ‘heat-related’ deaths. Experts say that’s a problem]( Public health experts aren't sure how many people die because of the heat each year, because there's no standard for what constitutes a "heat-related" death. [Read more.]( [How 2 Mass. doctors helped end discrimination against gay men in blood donation]( For decades, federal rules prohibited men who have sex with men from donating blood, but those rules have finally changed. [Read more.]( [How 2 Mass. doctors helped end discrimination against gay men in blood donation]( For decades, federal rules prohibited men who have sex with men from donating blood, but those rules have finally changed. [Read more.]( [A year in, BPS superintendent earns passing marks — with “a great deal” still to do]( The Boston School Committee commended Skipper for building a thorough understanding of the state’s largest school district and for beginning to foster a culture of “high expectations.” But some said the district still suffers from longstanding problems. [Read more.]( [A year in, BPS superintendent earns passing marks — with “a great deal” still to do]( The Boston School Committee commended Skipper for building a thorough understanding of the state’s largest school district and for beginning to foster a culture of “high expectations.” But some said the district still suffers from longstanding problems. [Read more.]( [Gov. Healey denies firing transportation secretary during Sumner Tunnel press remarks]( Healey said Fiandaca 'came to the decision' to leave her post after just eight months on the job. [Read more.]( [Gov. Healey denies firing transportation secretary during Sumner Tunnel press remarks]( Healey said Fiandaca 'came to the decision' to leave her post after just eight months on the job. [Read more.]( [Former cardinal McCarrick found not competent to stand trial for sex abuse]( Theodore McCarrick is the most prominent Catholic leader in the U.S. to face sex abuse charges. [Read more.]( [Former cardinal McCarrick found not competent to stand trial for sex abuse]( Theodore McCarrick is the most prominent Catholic leader in the U.S. to face sex abuse charges. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We've got a three-day weekend ahead, and the weather — for once! —looks pretty nice. [Here are five local attractions to check out]( including an exhibit on Harvard’s “women computers” and a whip-toting former WBUR newsman at the King Richard's Faire in Carver. - This year's first two human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Massachusetts and officials say August and September are the months when most people are exposed. [Here are a few steps you can take to avoid mosquitos]( and reduce your risk of getting the virus. - Across the pond: The Boston Symphony Orchestra is on its first international tour since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. WBUR's Wilder Fleming [caught up with the BSO during their first stop in London]( to hear what the return abroad has been like. - Not another teen movie: The new queer teen comedy "Bottoms" — starring Dorchester native Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott — opens this weekend. WBUR film critic Sean Burns writes that it's "unhinged in a good way." [Read his full review here](.  What We're Reading 📚 - The world knew him as Bill Russell. They knew him as dad. ([The Boston Globe]( - New Air-Conditioning Technology Could Be the Future of Cool ([Scientific American]( - The Albanian town that TikTok emptied ([Coda](  Tell Me Something Good ['Loads of Love': N.H. laundromat's free nights for unhoused people]( Once a week, a Manchester laundromat provides members of the unhoused community with what its owner calls a basic human right: adequate, clean clothing. [Read more.]( ['Loads of Love': N.H. laundromat's free nights for unhoused people]( Once a week, a Manchester laundromat provides members of the unhoused community with what its owner calls a basic human right: adequate, clean clothing. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common previews [two closely watched races in next month's Boston City Council preliminary elections](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The day is nigh.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.