Aug 2, 2024 By Karen Mansfield 4 min read

Following years of escalating opioid deaths in Washington County, there are encouraging signs.

Overdose deaths in the county were down sharply in 2023 from the previous year, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. It is the second consecutive year the county has recorded a reduction in overdose deaths.

Local officials suggest the promising numbers are the product of significant anti-drug public relations campaigns, aggressive enforcement of drug laws including DDRD (drug delivery resulting in death) charges, the use of overdose-reversing drugs (Narcan), and other measures.

“Obviously, we’re hoping that trend continues. It’s a combination of things Washington County does well, including aggressive enforcement of drug laws, education, and organizations like Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission,” said Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh.

In 2023, overdoses claimed the lives of 53 people. That’s a 50% decrease from 2021, when 106 people died from overdoses – the second-highest number of overdose fatalities on record in Washington County. In 2022, 88 overdose deaths were recorded.

“I think that’s attributed to several factors, including the quality of social programs we have, and an awareness of programs available,” said Warco. “I certainly believe individuals who use illegal drugs are more aware of the dangers of what the dealers are lacing fentanyl with. It’s on TV and the radio every day, so there’s an increased awareness.”

A coalition of several groups in Washington County has worked to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic, increase availability and accessibility to substance use services, clamp down on drug dealing, and make naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote, readily available to anyone in the community.

In 2016, the Washington County Opioid Overdose Coalition – comprised of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commision, the district attorney’s office, the local bar association, faith-based organizations, the county’s Children and Youth Services, and jail and legal aid organizations, among others – was launched, with its efforts aimed at prevention, treatment, and making sure people have the support they need through recovery.

When Warco took the helm as coroner in 1992, there were two overdose deaths in the county, and over the next decade, he only recorded double-digit deaths from overdose three times. Then, in 2016, 109 overdose deaths occurred, and no fewer than 76 were reported until 2023.

Even with the decline in 2022 and 2023, Warco thinks the 53 deaths are a problem.

“Every loss is sad. Every loss is a person who has a family and friends and loved ones who care about them. Drug deaths are significant because those deaths do not have to happen,” said Warco. “I want everybody to be happy and safe, to have a long life and prosper.”

In other findings from the coroner’s report, suicides dereased by about 21%, from 38 in 2022 to 30 in 2023, but remain an epidemic, Warco said. In 2022, more than 49,400 people in the United States died by suicide, about one death every 11 minutes. Suicides accounted for 14% of all Washington County deaths in 2023. Of those, 24 males and six females died, with a vast majority – 24 – of those deaths from gunshot wounds. Of reported suicides, 80% were male, while 45% were senior citizens and 10% were adolescents.

A national suicide and crisis hotline is available by calling or texting 988, or visiting 988lifeline.org, Warco noted.

In 2023, there were 12 motor vehicle-related or transportation-related deaths. Of the 12 motor-vehicle related deaths, 11 were the driver or operator and one was a passenger. Of those 11 drivers or operators, eight were under the influence of either alcohol or illicit drugs.

Additionally, of the 10 fatalities that occurred in passenger vehicles being driven on a road, only four people were wearing seat belts.

In the report, Warco wrote, “Considering the foregoing, the vast majority of motor vehicle fatalities could certainly have been prevented.”

He continued, “We’d like to remind the community that impaired driving kills. Please, don’t drive impaired and do not allow friends to drive impaired.”

Seat belts and helmets do save lives, he said, noting unrestrained occupants are 47% more likely to die as the result of a crash versus restrained occupants, and more than 75% of people who are ejected from a vehicle during a crash will die because of their critical injuries.

There were two homicides and seven accidental deaths reported in 2023, including two accidental deaths from asphyxiation, one from carbon monoxide, one from drowning, and two from falls.