Mapping Opioid Overdoses In Montgomery County

NORRISTOWN, PA — Where are overdoses occurring in Montgomery County, and what's being done to stop it?

A new interactive online tool, presented by the Montgomery County Overdose Task Force, allows citizens to track the county's efforts in combating the opioid epidemic.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, call the Pennsylvania Get Help Now line at 1-800-662-4357.

The map below, provided by the Task Force, lays out recent overdoses throughout the county. Blue dots represent overdoses at businesses or restaurants, a red cross indicates an overdose at a health care facility, while a yellow triangle marks an overdose at a school.

The two most concentrated areas on the map are Norristown and Pottstown. The Abington, Hatboro-Horsham, and Lansdale areas follow as the areas with the next highest concentration of overdoses.

According to statistics gathered by the Task Force thus far, the most significant percentage of overdoses occur in businesses or restaurants, in the fall and winter months, between 8 p.m. and midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, and involve victims that are white males aged 26-33.

Overdoses have steadily increased in the county almost every year over the last 15 years, rising from 39 in 2002 to 177 in 2015, and finally to 246 in 2016.

The Task Force is addressing the issue in numerous ways. There are numerous drug take back locations throughout the county. Dozens of pharmacies have signed on to dispense naloxone to individuals at-risk of an overdose. Licensed treatment providers are located in all of the overdose hotspots listed above.

The map also offers the public a chance to memorialize loved ones lost to opioids via a dedication on the map. The victim is remembered by a marker on the map which, when clicked, leads to a photo and memorial of their life.

View the full interactive online map here.

Patch file photo