JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The number of drug overdose deaths in Cambria County in 2023 was down nearly 30% from the previous year, according to data.
A total of 62 people died from drug overdoses in Cambria County last year, down from 88 the year before, according to data from Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Reese's office.
The county's overdose death toll is the lowest since before the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the second straight year of declines in drug deaths for a county rocked by the arrival of fentanyl a decade ago. was recorded.
Local officials working to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs praised the news this week.
But they also said it was not a time to celebrate, given the increasing risks posed by increasingly deceptive new drugs.
xylazine key killer
Although the total number of fatal overdoses decreased in 2023, Leeds noticed an increase in the number of people who died after putting the animal tranquilizer xylazine in their bodies.
Data show 20 people died in Cambria County from a drug cocktail that included xylazine and the powerful opioid fentanyl. In many cases, the drugs appear to have been mixed with cocaine or similar stimulants.
Xylazine, often referred to as “trunk,” is a growing problem in Somerset County. Somerset County Coroner Karen Swank said six of the county's 17 fatal overdoses in 2023 involved drug mixtures including xylazine.
Local authorities began sounding the alarm about xylazine from the end of 2022.
The drug naloxone (Narcan), which reverses opioid overdoses, does not reverse its effects, and officials say it is often mixed into crushed and snorted drugs. As a national trend, these drugs are often sold in the form of counterfeit pills.
Powerful painkillers that depress the system are mixed with stimulants to make cocaine and methamphetamine more potent, but with deadly consequences.
Fentanyl remained the top drug associated with overdoses in 2023, but that total also declined sharply. According to Cambria County statistics, 51 victims had drug combinations containing fentanyl in their systems, compared to 76 in 2022.
life saved
Natalie Kaufman, director of the Cambria County Drug Coalition, said one reason for the decline in overdose deaths in 2023 is likely increased awareness of dangerous drug trends. But he said the main reasons are Narcan acceptance, availability and education.
“Having it available over the counter has reduced the stigma around it,” Kaufman said. “People are now more willing to accept it… and that it's a safe drug.”
The Cambria County Drug Coalition continues to distribute free Narcan to the public, and paramedics and law enforcement officers in the area also carry Narcan for emergency calls.
In 2023, paramedics used Narcan to revive 87 overdose victims, according to numbers provided by Cambria County to the Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program. According to the figures, that number is 104 in 2022, down from 120 the previous year.
Fred Oliveros, Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program Administrator, agreed that improved access to Narcan will save lives. But he also referred to “de-stigmatizing” other forms of support.
At any given time, more than 2,000 people across Cambria County are receiving drug treatment and counseling, including suboxone and methadone.
The community, including doctors, has also become more accepting, giving people a second chance at life, Oliveros said.
“The fact that our overdose numbers are going down is a great sign, but we know that saving lives is not enough,” Kaufman said. We need to bring these survivors to treatment and recovery. ”
the youngest victim
The oldest overdose victim in Cambria County in 2023 was a 70-year-old Johnstown man who had fentanyl and cocaine in his system, Leeds said.
The youngest child was not born yet.
Leeds' total also included a Somerset County child who was growing inside his mother's body for 34 weeks when she died of an opioid and methamphetamine overdose. The fetus was pronounced dead at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.
“As a coroner, it's my job to represent those who can no longer speak, and these are heartbreaking cases,” Mr Lees said.
Both Somerset and Cambria counties have programs to prevent these tragedies for those willing to accept assistance.
“100% preventable”
Mr Lee also expressed concern about infants and young children accidentally coming into contact with drugs.
Across the country, infants and young children are overdosing after coming into contact with fentanyl and other opioids left within reach.
Last year, a Cambria County woman was sentenced to two to four years in prison for the death of a child who overdosed inside a drug stash, which Leeds ruled a homicide.
In late 2022, a Lilly man was charged after his 14-month-old child allegedly overdosed at his home. The child was resuscitated and taken to UPMC Altoona.
The increasing potency of drugs, especially the presence of fentanyl in nearly every substance, increases that risk.
But that's only part of the responsibility, Leeds says. Deciding to use illegal drugs is one thing, leaving them within the reach of small children is another, he added.
“These deaths are 100% preventable,” Leeds said.
Help available
Oliveros said one of the most difficult parts of drug addiction is that people under the influence or worried about withdrawal struggle to make wise, positive decisions. Ta.
That applies not only to your own health, but also to the health of those you care for, he says.
The Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program and the Cambria County Drug Coalition partner with organizations in the health care, education, treatment, and law enforcement fields to help people escape the cycle of substance abuse.
This includes a program to help pregnant women who are addicted to drugs get the help they need, Oliveros said.
Oliveros said the program pairs struggling pregnant women with maternal addiction navigators and substance abuse recovery specialists to help them get through their pregnancies and give birth to healthy children.
The state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs funds the program, and referrals are often made through local prenatal physician offices, she said.
Somerset County also has programs aimed at helping pregnant women and supporting their children after birth, Oliveros said.
“Infants affected by substances are identified during the labor and delivery process and asked for support in our programs,” Oliveros said, ensuring a comprehensive plan for safe care is in place. It added that Children and Youth Services would also be involved to ensure this.
“Newborns affected by substance abuse should not fall,” he says.
“COR” support
Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Cambria County Drug Coalition continue to promote new ways to provide assistance to those seeking to overcome substance abuse.
The program's website, www.cambriadrugandalcohol.com, provides a comprehensive list of support programs and facilities in one place. Oliveros said the site includes an interactive map of facilities that can provide assistance locally and throughout the state.
“We want people to know that no matter what substance they're dealing with, there are services available to them,” he says.
“We provide services that people can access for free,” including inpatient and outpatient treatment, detox, counseling and access to medications, Oliveros said.
Kaufman said they are also finding new ways to bring that message to the places where drug users live, learn, work and worship.
Over the past year, the coalition has created an all-in-one Compassionate Outreach for Recovery (COR) bag that includes Narcan, drug test strips, and a resource guide. Also included are gauze and other wound care supplies to treat dangerous flesh wounds caused by xylazine.
These guides explain how to use the supplies and how fentanyl affects your body. They share the message that “one pill can kill you” about the risks of buying fentanyl-laced pills on the street, and they believe people should be concerned about drug content in order to seek treatment to kick their drug habit. It also includes information on where to go for help.
Kaufman said Cambria County Drug Coalition Project Management Coordinator Nicole Russell distributed nearly 700 bags to local organizations in 2023. business. Some college students also buy pills containing xylazine, thinking they are Adderall, a drug used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
educate everyone
Kaufman said education is an important part of this fight, not just for those who experiment with drugs, but also for those who don't.
People who don't use drugs increasingly understand that substance abuse is a complex medical problem, but it's difficult to get them to understand why it happens, Kaufman says. .
She often uses coffee as an analogy.
Regular coffee drinkers understand what it's like to have a headache if you forget to drink your morning coffee, she says.
“Imagine drinking five pots of coffee a day. How you would feel if you didn't have coffee the next morning,” she said.
A deeper understanding of the issue will help people recognize that their friends, loved ones and strangers are suffering and that “every life deserves to be saved,” Kaufman said.
“We tried tough love approaches and shaming, but it didn’t work,” she said. We now know that simply telling people that they deserve to die cannot inspire them to live. ”
The fight against substance abuse is about starting the conversation now and letting people know, “When you're ready, I'm here,” Kaufman said. ”