Fewer ODs
As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a decrease in deaths from drug overdoses nationwide. “In New Hampshire,” WMUR reported, “the CDC reported fewer than 270 overdose deaths in 2025, down roughly 5% from 2024. Despite the decline, officials said new substances continue to emerge, with 23 new drugs already identified in 2026.”
QOL score: +2
Comment:“Overdose deaths fell about 14% nationwide last year,” WMUR reported. “It marks the third consecutive year of declines, the longest stretch in decades. The biggest contributor has been a drop in overdoses involving fentanyl”
State college tuition may go up
As reported by the Portsmouth Herald in a May 15, online article, “Tuition bills across the University System of New Hampshire are proposed to increase for a second straight academic year following six years of frozen in-state fees.” There is a proposed 2.5 percent increase in undergraduate in-state tuition at the University of New Hampshire.
QOL score: -1
Comment: The University System of New Hampshire’s board of trustees will finalize the 2026-2027 tuition rates for UNH, Keene State College and Plymouth State University in June. Tuition at UNH “would jump to $16,304 for the 2026-2027 academic year, if the new rates are approved, an increase of about 2.5%. Out-of-state undergraduates would pay $37,996 for the year, also about a 2.5% increase,” the Herald reported. “Granite Staters attending UNH presently pay $15,908 per year for in-state tuition, compared to $37,070 for out-of-state students.”
Test scores are not encouraging
WMUR reported in a May 14 online article that “students nationwide are facing what researchers describe as a decade-long learning recession as test scores continue to decline. According to a recent report using data from the Education Scorecard and The Educational Opportunity Project, students across the country, including in New Hampshire, are performing worse academically than they were 10 years ago.” The article quoted Dartmouth College economics professor Doug Staiger, one of the report’s authors. ““From 2019 to 2022, students in New Hampshire, on average, lost about two-thirds of a grade level,” Staiger said. “That’s a lot.”
QOL score: -1
Comment: WMUR quoted professor Staiger, who said, “the decline began before the Covid-19 pandemic, though the pandemic accelerated the trend. While math scores have started to recover, reading scores continue to lag behind.” Chronic absenteeism and the rise of social media also probably play a role, he was quoted as saying.
QOL score last week: 51
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 51
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
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