The latest figures on drug and alcohol intoxication deaths show a surge in Montgomery County fatalities related to fentanyl, a strong opiate pain medication.
The number of fentanyl intoxication deaths has increased sharply since 2013, when there were none. There were 8 in 2014, 17 in 2015, and 43 in 2016. There were 15 in the county in the first quarter of this year.
Overall opioid intoxication deaths in the county have increased from 53 in 2014 to 84 last year.
The state Department of Health on Friday released new statistics on drug- and alcohol-related intoxication deaths, incorporating the first quarter of 2017.
Comparing the first quarters of recent years, Maryland’s opioid deaths have roughly tripled since 2013. Fentanyl deaths rose during that period from 8 in a quarter to 372.
Five months ago, Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland because of heroin and opioid abuse and deaths. The state has committed more money and resources to combat the problem.
Fentanyl abuse noticeably worsened in Montgomery County in the fourth quarter of 2016, said Raymond Crowel, the county’s chief of behavioral health and crisis services.
“It constitutes a crisis for us,” Crowel said.
Governments are increasingly turning to naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
In Montgomery County, police carry naloxone in their patrol cars. The county’s Fire and Rescue Service also is equipped with it.
Last year, Crowel said, Montgomery County school nurses were trained in how to use naloxone, which will be available at every school.
Hospitals give naloxone to family members of opioid abusers after they are discharged from the hospital.
Crowel said other figures show a positive trend. The number of nonfatal overdoses is spiking, but mainly because naloxone is preventing deaths.
“Our death toll would be a lot higher if not for the presence of naloxone,” he said.
Although the intoxication death figures for cocaine and alcohol in Montgomery are less severe, Crowel said they are intertwined with opioids. Toxicology reports from many opioid deaths show alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine and other drugs, too, indicating that substance addiction is the underlying problem, he said.
