Drug overdose deaths and overdose-related emergency room visits surged in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Taos counties during the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier.

Most of the deaths were linked to fentanyl use, according to the New Mexico Department of Health, which released data Thursday showing the concerning rise throughout Northern New Mexico.

The sharp increase is a regional anomaly: Data shows fatal overdoses statewide in the first quarter of 2025 were lower than in the same three months of 2024 by more than 100 deaths.

Health officials attribute at least some of the growth in overdose deaths and emergency room visits to more potent fentanyl pills and powders in the region — although the reason for the higher concentrations in the three-county area

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