In 2019, Chesco OD deaths tick upward
WEST CHESTER There have been more drug overdose deaths in Chester County in the first six months of this year than there were in a comparable time period in 2018, according to the figures from the county Coroner’s Office.
News of the numbers came as the administration in Harrisburg said the state’s fight against the opioid crisis appeared to show success in reducing the number of opioid deaths in 2018.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that overdose deaths in Pennsylvania went down by 18 percent from 2017 to 2018, dropping from 5,377 to 4,413.
“You don’t see a mission accomplished sign here,” Wolf said at a Capitol news conference. “While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made on the opioid epidemic, this is a small step toward a big process we have to address moving forward.”
Chester County was one of many counties contributing to that decrease. The Coroner’s Office reported 112 accidental overdose deaths in 2018, a 22 percent drop from 2017.
But in a press release issued Friday, county Coroner Dr. Christina VandePol said her office had confirmed a total of 65 people who died of a drug overdose this year during the months leading up to June 30, with 62 deaths determined to be accidental and three due to suicide.
According to the release, this is slightly more than the 57 overdose deaths reported mid-way through 2018, although her office cautioned that, “it is not possible to accurately predict a total for all of 2019.”
“People in Chester County continue to die from drug overdoses largely due to the super-strong opioid fentanyl,” VandePol said, referring to the agent that many drug traffickers add to the heroin they distribute to increase its potency and make it more popular with users — even though its deadliness is widely recognized in the drug community.
“This is not your prescription painkiller, it’s an illegal street drug often substituted for her
oin,” she said. “The 2018 drop in deaths is encouraging, but the recent uptick shows we can’t relax prevention, law enforcement, or treatment approaches in an effort to bring an end to this epidemic.”
In 2018, Pennsylvania had the third highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the country.
Chester County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Michelle Kichline, who along with VandePol has taken a leadership role in the county’s anti-opioid effort, said the coroners’s mid-year report, “fills me with sadness and fear.
“Sadness because 65 deaths — more than 10 every month — are 65 too many, and my heart goes out to the family and friends who loved each and every one of those who have died,” she said. “Fear because, as time goes on, my worry is that we could become desensitized to the issue and to these ‘statistics.’”
The demographic profile of those who have died of an accidental drug overdose so far in 2019 in the county is similar to that of previous years, VandePol said, with the affected population remaining predominantly male (77 percent), white (80 percent), and in the 25-44 year age range.
Toxicological tests show that fentanyl was found in almost 76 percent of the county’s cases, she said. “No other substance comes close, but most fatalities involve multiple drugs, both illicit and prescription. Heroin, the next most common drug, was present in 22.6 percent of Chester County cases.
According to the coroner’s findings, acetyl fentanyl, another synthetic opioid, and xylazine, a large animal anesthetic, were both found in 19.4 percent of cases, always in combination with fentanyl.
“The number of drug deaths continues to challenge the resources of many coroner and medical examiner offices, including ours,” the coroner said. “Nevertheless, we remain committed to supporting law enforcement efforts, providing answers for families, and reporting accurate and current data by performing an autopsy and toxicology testing in suspected drug overdose deaths.”
In an email, Kichline stressed that the county would continue to attempt to combat the opioid epidemic.
“We have devoted a tremendous amount of resources to help address the opioid crisis, but the problem is not going away,” she said. “We are fighting it from every angle — from law enforcement, free availability of Narcan, and education addressing prescription practices, to the 24/7 availability of counselors