Coroner: Drug overdose deaths in Greene County ‘stabilized’ in 2024
The number of people dying of drug overdoses in Greene County appears to have “stabilized” in recent years, although officials think there is still more work that can be done to fight addiction.
According to the Greene County coroner’s records, 11 people suffered fatal overdoses last year, which is up slightly compared to the 10 people who died from ingesting drugs in 2023.
But it appears now to be a consistent statistic after dropping from a record 19 fatal overdoses in 2016. Since that record high, drug deaths have averaged about 11 ½ annually over the last seven years.
“We’ve had a couple of what I call good years when it comes to drug deaths,” Greene County Coroner Gene Rush said. “That could change tomorrow, as far as that goes. I think it’s kinda stabilized in our county, at least.”
Of the 11 people who died last year, eight were men and three were women. Five of the people were in their 30s or 40s, while five were 50 or older, according to the coroner’s report. April was an especially deadly month, with four deaths reported, while no other month recorded more than one fatal overdose the rest of year.
“You can look at it in different ways. Winter is finally over. They’re getting out and maybe getting more,” Rush said of the possible reasons for the spike in April. “I don’t think there is any way to determine why.”
While fentanyl was involved in six of the 11 deaths, Rush said they’re seeing more people mixing methamphetamine and the animal tranquilizer xylazine into their drugs.
“It just never ceases to amaze me how these drug users are mixing drugs and coming up with ways to use them,” Rush said. “But I’m glad to see a relative leveling out of the situation. Why that is? I don’t know. It just seems like our numbers are staying the same.”
But Greene County officials are still trying to solve the drug addiction problem that continues to plague the region. Marty Yoskovich, who is a deputy coroner and chairman of the Greene County Drug Overdose Task Force, said there are plans to open a recovery house in Carmichaels this summer that would give people treatment options.
“This recovery house is going to be an important step. To be dried out, to have treatment,” Yoskovich said of the facility, which will have 10 beds for people to stay.
The county jail also recently purchased a body scanner, which Yoskovich said is helping to stop the flow of drugs into the facility.
“The contraband has stopped in the prison,” he said. “The inmates know it and they’re not even trying to circumvent it.”
But most importantly, people are learning about the services available to fight drug addiction as various social service agencies work in tandem to streamline recovery.
“The overdose task force has helped to consolidate many agencies of the county,” Yoskovich said of the group that formed nearly a decade ago and meets monthly. “There are systems in place, there are contacts in place. Someone will take them in immediately. Everyone is connected because of this (task) force, everyone knows somebody. The word needs to get out there that there are lots of services in place if they want them.”
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Greene County overdose deaths by year
2024 – 11
2023 – 10
2022 – 13
2021 – 16
2020 – 12
2019 – 14
2018 – 4
2017 – 12
2016 – 19