So the number of unintentional overdose deaths in NYC has gone from 638 in 2000 792 in 2001 remained in the 700s until 2005 (796) then increased to 828 in 2006 then shrunk to 695 in 2007, 618 then 593 then a low point of 541 in 2010 then increased 630, 730, then 782 in 2013. Politicians can't take credit for such bizarre movements of overdosing.  Of course based on statistics one can talk about the DRAMATIC RISE from the low point of 541 to the scary top of 782. over a 3 year period.  Many of them were from opioids (77%). 

     Di-acetyl morphine, which doesn't cause addiction in the UK (according to one website), is a menace to the Empire State, or at least Empire City. It is involved slightly more than half (54%)* of the overdoses. Here's a great example of percentages versus figures. Heroin killed 50% more people PER CAPITA in 2013 than it did in 2010. Here's the numbers: 209 versus 420. 

    Methadone's per capita rate is similar between 2008 and 2013 (2.4 vs 2.5 per 100,000). Most people needed to take 2 drugs to overdose. Anxiety medication was used 60% of the time. 

* 420/.54 = 777.8       778*.54~420 so I'm unsure why in the graph it has 782 as the # of unintentional deaths, but I doubt that one needs to quibble about math since there was an annotation that numbers may be changing. Bronx inhabitants eked out Staten Islanders (8.8 vs 8.6 per 100,000) in overdosing. The largest increase by ethnicity was among Hispanics/Latinos, but the largest group of people who died was Whites. Heroin is most commonly used by poor people. So, yes Virginia, poverty knows all racial groups. 

Source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief50.pdf