(Image courtesy of Arizona Department of Health Services)

The weekly numbers are out on Arizona’s opioid epidemic. Since the state Department of Health began publishing its weekly report three weeks ago, 52 people are suspected to have died from the narcotic. 

Meanwhile, training across the state continues for first responders, pharmacists and health care providers on the front line of the opioid crisis.

During the third week of tracking the numbers, AZDHS reported suspected opioid deaths dropped last week by 24 percent, from 21 to 16 cases.

Hospitals tracking infants born addicted to opioids reported an 11 percent drop in cases (18 to 16) from last week.

And while the number of suspected non-fatal opioid overdoses dropped 14 percent (253 to 217), the total number of suspected overdoses and deaths by the narcotic, legally or illicitly ingested, rose to more than 700.

One promising note: the number of kits distributed of the antidote Naloxone by pharmacies more than doubled during week two.