“By using a collective model impact, agencies across different disciplines in Montgomery County can work together to help reduce the overdose deaths,” said Dan Suffoletto, public information manager at Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.
In 2024, there were 177 drug overdose deaths in Montgomery County, compared to 293 in 2023 and 316 in 2022, according to county data. The 177 deaths in 2024 is about a 68.7% decline from the high in 2017 of 566 overdose deaths.
Fatal overdoses are also going down in Clark County. In 2024, there were a total of 27 overdose fatalities compared to 52 overdose fatalities in 2023, according to Clark County Combined Health District.
Statewide, the monthly rate of nonfatal overdose emergency department visits dropped from 62.7 cases per 100,000 people in August 2023 to 41.1 cases per 100,000 people in August 2025, the most recent month for which data is available, according to the Healthy Policy Institute of Ohio.
Nationally, there were 72,697 unintentional overdose deaths in 2024, which is a drop of about 25.2% compared to the 97,231 deaths reported in 2023, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control.
“We’re seeing a year-over-year decrease, which is good news in our community; however, unfortunately, there still is risk of overdose and death, and all of the efforts that are being made need to be continued so that we can see a further reduction in deaths,” Suffoletto said.
Opioids mixed with cocaine, meth creating concerning trends
Montgomery County is seeing a trend where different drugs, like methamphetamine, are mixed in with opioids, he said. The combination is creating additional risks for people struggling with a substance use disorder.
“We’re seeing a rise in overdose deaths where there’s no fentanyl present, so that would be that would be deaths where there’s either cocaine or methamphetamine present but not necessarily fentanyl,” Suffoletto said.
This is showing a trend in older Black males, Suffoletto said, due to Black adults, particularly men, having a higher risk of heart disease.
“Those overdose deaths in the older Black males are also seeing a pattern of people who have a pre-existing condition of heart disease, and that condition makes an overdose even more dangerous,” Suffoletto said.
Among people aged 20 and older in the U.S., nearly 60% of Black adults have some type of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association, compared to about 49% of all U.S. adults who have some type of cardiovascular disease.
“We want to make people aware again of the dangers of using street drugs,” Suffoletto said.
In 2022, nearly half of drug overdose deaths involved multiple drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Increased availability of Narcan
Health departments attribute some of the success in decreasing overdose deaths is due to increased availability of Narcan, also called naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose.
“However, if conditions change where other drugs come about, where Narcan doesn’t work, or drugs become stronger, and the effectiveness of Narcan lessens, that could increase the deaths at that point,” Suffoletto said.
People should still utilize Narcan as it can reverse the side affects of opioids and help restore breathing.
“We stress the importance of carrying and knowing how to use Narcan even if someone is using substances other than opioids,” said Jacob Clark, health planning supervisor at the Clark County Combined Health District.
In some instances, substances like cocaine or methamphetamine can be laced with fentanyl, and people can experience an opioid overdose, Clark said.
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is also a substance that public health experts have seen in fentanyl in Montgomery and Clark counties.
Since xylazine is not an opioid, Narcan does not reverse its effects, Clark said.
“We still stress using Narcan on an individual experiencing an overdose even if you suspect there is Xylazine involved as it will still reverse the effects of the fentanyl and restore breathing,” Clark said. “It is important to always call 911 when you suspect someone has overdosed even if you have administered Narcan.”
Where to find Narcan
In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health’s Project DAWN (deaths avoided with naloxone) is a community-based drug overdose education and naloxone distribution program.
Visit naloxone.ohio.gov/get-naloxone/individual to get naloxone mailed to you.
The Project DAWN Dashboard can be used to find naloxone distribution sites and other harm reduction resources at odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/project-dawn/project-dawn-programs/dashboard.
In Montgomery County, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County’s Recovery Outreach Team offers free naloxone. Call (937) 461-5223 for more information.
The Community Overdose Action Team provides opioid overdose prevention education and distribution of home overdose reversal kits containing naloxone nasal spray. Call (937) 225-6026 for more information.
In Clark County, the Clark County Combined Health District has two new Narcan stands, including in front of the Home Road Office at 529 East Home Rd. in Springfield, as well as at the health district’s location at Southern Village, located at 1209-3 Sunset Ave. These are two purple boxes that that include things like Narcan and CPR face masks.
The health district also added a Narcan vending machine at the Salvation Army in Springfield, 15 S. Plum St., where people can access Narcan at no cost.
If anybody is interested in getting a Narcan kit at no cost, you can also contact Kelly Binegar with McKinley Hall at 937-717-1610.
“Getting Narcan into as many hands as possible is important to reducing overdose fatalities,” said Jacob Clark, health planning supervisor at the Clark County Combined Health District.
Narcan is also available over-the-counter at pharmacies for a fee.
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