111 Opioid, Heroin Overdose Deaths In Bergen In 2017: Prosecutor

More than 100 people died of heroin- and opioid-related overdoses in Bergen County in 2017, according to numbers released by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Of the 308 reported overdoses in 2017, 131 were fatal. Of those, 111 were heroin- and opioid-related, statistics show.

There have been 507 reported overdoses in Bergen County from 2016 until now. Of those, 416 were heroin- and opioid-related.

The prosecutor's office created Operation Helping Hand in response to an increase in drug overdoses Bergen County between 2015 and 2016. Eighty-seven people died from drug overdoses during that time; 70 of them were heroin and opioid-related.

The fourth iteration of the program was held from March 12 through Friday with the help of police departments from 30 Bergen County towns, recovery specialists, physicians from New Bridge Medical Center and specialists from the Bergen County Department of Health.

Thirty-seven people were arrested and brought to the prosecutor's office for processing where they were given the chance to speak with a recovery specialist. Most of the people were charged with heroin possession.

The specialists, all recovering addicts, offered help to those charged. If someone requested help, a trained clinician from the county Division of Addiction Services worked with people to get them the appropriate help.

Of the 37 people, 19 opted to get help and 12 are in a five-day detoxification program, mostly at New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus.

As the patients complete the program they are offered long-term treatment options. Recovery specialists keep in touch with many of the people arrested who did not avail themselves of treatment.

"The Operation demonstrates the close cooperation of law enforcement, county government and Bergen County social service organizations in the fight against this epidemic and the results that are possible through that cooperation," said acting county Prosecutor Dennis Calo said in a statement. "We will continue the fight."

Related: 15 Arrested During County Heroin Sweep Get Treatment

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