Overdose Deaths Rise To 67 This Year In Union County

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The number of overdose deaths in Union County has risen to 67 and the number of police-administered naloxone has grown to 214 times this year, according to the prosecutor's office.

There were 79 fatal overdoses through July in 2017 and 58 fatal overdoses through July in 2016, Union County Prosecutor's Office Spokesman Mark Spivey said.

The numbers are released weekly by the UCPO as part of its #confrontingacrisis campaign.

"There have now been 214 in 2018, topping last year's previous single-year high of 180 — including 21 taking place during the first two weeks of September alone," the UCPO tweeted.

As of Sept. 14, the lifesaving overdose-reversal drug has been used a total of 214 times in 2018, passing the 2017 total of 180 and 2016 with 161, according to the UCPO.

Of the 214, a total of 67 people have died from an overdose in Union County.

The highest number of naloxone deployment remains in Union Township with 49, followed by Linden, Rahway, Elizabeth and Cranford.

Here is a breakdown of the police-administered naloxone in Union County from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7: