Apr 25, 2018 4 min read

Efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in Washington County appear to be having an impact, but big challenges remain.

That was the message delivered at the Washington County Opioid Overdose Coalition’s quarterly meeting Tuesday.

Speakers from the coalition, along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration addressed a new report that details the decline in the number of overdose deaths in Washington County 2017, and county’s efforts to save lives and provide treatments.

Dr. Lynn Mirigian, director of the Overdose Prevention Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh, commended the coalition for the reduction in fatalities, but noted the county’s rate of overdose deaths – 57 per 100,000 in 2017 – remains higher than the state average of 37.

According to the Washington County coroner’s office, 97 people died of drug overdoses last year, a majority from heroin and fentanyl, compared to a record 110 deaths in 2016.

“The takeaway is, Washington County had a decrease in overdose deaths from 2016 to 2017,” said Mirigian. “You’re doing awesome work in decreasing overdoses, but there’s still a long way to go. So, I want to be sure we’re balancing ‘This is super-exciting’ with the fact that we still have a lot of work to be done. But there shouldn’t be any loss of hope. You guys are showing you can do this.”

The report also shows the use of naloxone has played a role in reducing the number of deaths. The county has distributed 2,129 naloxone kits, which have saved 336 lives over the past three years.

Mirigian acknowledged the use of naloxone is controversial, “but it prevents people from dying…and every one of these saves is someone’s life that was saved so they have the opportunity to go into treatment and to choose a different path.”

Other factors that Mirigian believes have impacted the number of overdose deaths is a substantial increase in both treatment assessments and the average length of stay for substance treatment for drug users.

“Those are the biggest take-home messages for you in terms of what’s happening in Washington County: your deaths are down, naloxone is up, treatment is up and your nonfatal overdoses are about the same,” said Mirigian.

Dr. Jean Bennett, SAMHSA Region 3 administrator, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, lauded the coalition’s work.

“I can tell you that in six years in serving the SAMHSA, I’ve not had the opportunity to have such awe about the quality and the comprehensiveness of the effort that is going on here in your county,” said Bennett. “We’re hoping that the fire you’ve lit here can spread across the country so that other places who are also dealing with lots of people who have substance abuse and mental health disorders, and are having lots of people dying from overdoses, that they can learn from what’s been accomplished here.”

Drug Enforcement Administration Supervisor Steve Denhup provided a briefing on heroin and opioid trends impacting the county, noting that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is much more powerful than heroin and morphine, is on the rise.

The quantity of fentanyl ordered through underground channels is increasing, Denhup said, and it’s often distributed through street sales of counterfeit pills.

“Kids think they’re buying Xanax, and they’re getting fentanyl,” said Denhup, who noted the opioid epidemic and the increase in fentanyl combinations circulating, continue to be a formidable challenge for law officials and lawmakers.

Also speaking at the coalition’s meeting was a former heroin addict who arrived in Washington County for treatment and has remained clean for 11 ½ years.

She told told those who attended, “I know that recovery is possible. I know along my journey there are so many individuals that, if it weren’t for that one person, I would not be standing here right now. We don’t realize how those little things we’re doing for people can change their lives. So I think the most important thing we can do for people is listen and love them, and know they’re worth it.”