Overdose Death Rate Plummets In Montgomery Co.: Here's Why

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County has seen a massive decrease in overdose deaths over the past year, new statistics released by the county on Thursday show, marking the steepest decline in years as the state and much of the nation continue to battle the fallout of the opioid epidemic.

A total of 139 people died from overdoses in the county in 2024, down from 190 in 2023 and a peak of 257 in 2020. The 2024 number is the lowest since 2011, when there were 126 deaths, a decline characterized as "historic" by the district attorney's office.

Montgomery County Coroner, Dr. Janine Darby, said the new statistics are an important step forward.

"I see firsthand the toll that overdose deaths take on families," Darby said in a statement. "This decline is encouraging, but every loss is still one too many. We must continue working together—through education, prevention, and support—to save lives and keep this momentum going."

The changing nature of street drugs could be a contributing factor to the declining death rate, officials say. The potency of fentanyl pills produced by traffickers has fallen, and the county estimates that about 50 percent of pills contain a fatal dose, as opposed to the 70 percent number a year or two ago.

The increase in other street drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, which are sometimes used as alternatives to fentanyl and other opioids, has also likely saved lives, officials said.

Efforts by the county to combat overdoses, ranging from heightened prosecution of dealers to various preventative measures, has also had an impact. Among the changes implemented by District Attorney Kevin Steele's office: all police vehicles now contain the overdose reversal drug naloxone, medication return boxes have been installed across the county, and Drug Take Back Days occur biannually to gather unwanted medications from around the area.