Montco, Buck County see declines in fatal drug overdoses. Numbers follow national trends

Fatal cause overdoses successful Montgomery County saw melodramatic diminution past year, dropping to their lowest level successful much than a decade, a inclination mirrored nationally, according to statistics.

District Attorney Kevin Steele and Coroner Dr. Janine Darby announced deaths successful the region fell from 190 successful 2023 to 139 past year, the lowest fig since 2011, according to a property release.

The astir 27% is the steepest one-year diminution pursuing a highest of 257 overdose deaths successful 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 5 years, deaths successful the region person dropped 46%, according to region data.

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Bucks County has besides seen a melodramatic driblet successful overdose deaths implicit the past 5 years, information shows.

Coroner Patti Campi said the unofficial overdose number for 2024 was 115 with a fewer pending results waiting to beryllium returned. That is simply a astir fractional the fig successful 2020, erstwhile determination were 214 overdose deaths.

Most of those deaths were among radical betwixt 25 and 44 years old, which accounted for 34% and 25% of deaths respectively, according to Overdose Free Pa.  Fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine were the astir often identified substances cited successful deaths.

The diminution successful overdose deaths successful Bucks and Montgomery counties appears to travel a nationalist trend.

The Centers for Disease Control past twelvemonth reported provisional information from its National Center for Health Statistics showed an estimated 107,543 cause overdose deaths successful the United States during 2023 — a alteration of 3% from 2022.

This alteration was the archetypal year-over-year alteration successful cause overdose deaths since 2018.

Montgomery County  DA Steele noted successful the property merchandise the steps his bureau has taken to trim deaths including moving with the region to equip each constabulary cars with the opioid reversal cause Naloxone.

Steele has besides worked to spot MedReturn boxes successful astir each constabulary departments successful the region successful bid to cod unwanted medicine and over-the-counter medications and organized Drug Take Back Days doubly a year.

“Far excessively galore families successful Montgomery County person suffered the unbearable nonaccomplishment of having a loved 1 dice from overdose,” Steele said. “And portion I’m blessed to spot the overdose deaths spell down importantly successful 2024, it’s inactive excessively galore families who person mislaid a loved one.”

Other factors that person contributed to the falling decease rates is the changing quality of thoroughfare drugs, officials said.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has said tests amusement the potency of fentanyl pills retired of Mexican cartels has fallen. Montgomery County has besides seen an summation successful different thoroughfare drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine, officials said.

Darby called the diminution encouraging, but that “every nonaccomplishment is inactive 1 excessively many.”

“As coroner, I spot firsthand the toll that overdose deaths instrumentality connected families,” she said. “We indispensable proceed moving together—through education, prevention, and support—to prevention lives and support this momentum going."

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia tin beryllium reached astatine [email protected]

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Bucks County Courier Times: Montco cause overdose deaths driblet to lowest level successful much than a decade