“We will remember the individuals who we have lost, as well as those who have survived and reached recovery,” said Barb Marsh, the chief operating officer of OneFifteen, a Dayton nonprofit that helps people recover from addiction. She attended Tuesday’s Montgomery County commission meeting.
Marsh said fentanyl — a synthetic opioid — is lethal in low doses. It also has accounted for the majority of local unintentional overdose deaths and is a driving force behind the current state of the opioid epidemic, she said.
Roughly 105 people have died by overdose in Montgomery County this year, according to the county’s Community Overdose Action Team.
Last year, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County reported 316 overdose deaths.
“Sadly, millions of Americans including many of our citizens here are recounting the pain and the anguish of losing a loved one day to a drug overdose,” Marsh said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of overdose deaths involving synthetic fentanyl more than tripled nationally from 2016 to 2021.
The CDC also estimated that more than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
OneFifteen, located at 707 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., has served more than 5,500 people in the area. Marsh estimated that 75% of these patients were Montgomery County residents.
Drug overdoses among teens are also growing. The CDC reported that youth deaths involving fentanyl have increased 30% in the last year.
Marsh said education is an important tool in drug overdose death prevention. She pointed to Project Dawn as a resource for people seeking access to Narcan or Naloxone.
In recognition of the awareness day, the county administrative building was lit with teal and purple lights Tuesday evening for people to see driving by.
“We hear story after story … they may not know it, but we’re recognizing it,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice.
About the Author
