Overdose Deaths Are Decreasing In Montgomery County In 2017: Officials

NORRISTOWN, PA — Bucking local and national trends, overdose deaths are slowly trending downward in Montgomery County, authorities said.

While the decrease is minor, it is nonetheless surprising after years of seeing those rates climb.

There were 111 overdose deaths in the county in the first half of 2017, marking a four percent decrease from the first half of 2016, according to officials.

“After years of watching these numbers increase, we are proud of the work being done to combat the opioid epidemic that is having a devastating toll on the region,” Val Arkoosh, Chair, Montgomery County Commissioners said in a statement. “This is not a victory lap but a chance to recognize the impact of the men and women across Montgomery County who work in law enforcement, EMS, and human services to save the lives of those battling substance use disorder.”

At one point from 2015 into 2016, overdoses increased by 138 percent. At the time, local authorities were calling the opioid epidemic the worst in the region's history. Communities across the nation have continued to undergo similar overdose spikes.

But officials said that after reaching a peak about a year and a half ago, drug-related deaths stopped significantly increasing in Montgomery County.

The county pointed towards the availability of Naloxone, and its increased availability in pharmacies and county health clinics, as one of the reasons that drug deaths have not continued to rise in the county as they have elsewhere.

Steven Harris, a West Pottsgrove resident, spoke at the recent Montgomery County Overdose Task Force Meeting.

“I just want to let you know that your work is not in vain,” he said. “There is still hope for the hopeless.”

Moving forward, officials identified fighting the spread of fentanyl as of particular importance. Of the 123 drug related deaths in Montgomery County between January and June of 2017, 89 involved fentanyl.

Image via Montgomery County