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Overdose fatality review: Mohave County finds high polysubstance deaths, rising methamphetamine involvement
Summary
Mohave County’s overdose fatality review for 2023 found most reviewed deaths were polysubstance and that methamphetamine involvement rose (70%); fentanyl remained prevalent; reviewers recommended expanding treatment capacity, patient education and community harm‑reduction distribution such as naloxone and test strips.
Selena Luckbakan (presentation name rendered in the transcript as Selena Luckbakan), the county’s overdose data‑to‑action and overdose fatality review coordinator, briefed the board on the 2023 overdose fatality review. She said the review team examined 27 of the 60 overdose deaths in 2023 using records from law enforcement, EMS, hospitals and the medical examiner.
Luckbakan summarized key findings: 82 percent of reviewed decedents were assigned male at birth; 52 percent were found beyond resuscitative measures when responders arrived; naloxone was documented as used in about 26 percent of cases. Toxicology commonly showed polysubstance use: 78 percent of reviewed deaths involved two or more substances. In 41 percent of cases the contributing combination included an opioid and a stimulant, most commonly fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The review noted a marked increase in methamphetamine detection (70 percent of reviewed decedents) compared with 2022, when fentanyl led. Fentanyl remained prevalent (around 67 percent). Reviewers also documented a high burden of coexisting mental‑health and chronic medical conditions: 60 percent of reviewed decedents had a recorded mental‑health condition and 78 percent had at least one chronic health condition. Nonfatal overdose history, homelessness and recent incarceration were common contributing factors: 33 percent had a prior nonfatal overdose, 37 percent were homeless or had inadequate housing at time of death, and 30 percent had been released from custody within the prior year.
The OFR team recommended expanding mental‑health and substance‑use disorder treatment capacity, patient‑specific education on overdose risks (including co‑occurring conditions and prescription interactions), and continued community distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. Luckbakan said the county program distributes naloxone and test strips to both the public and partner organizations including Southwest Behavioral and Health Services, Arizona Youth Partnership and M‑STEP.
Ending: The board received the OFR findings for information; the presentation did not include a request for new funding or an immediate policy vote.
