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Health department: fentanyl remains central to overdoses; county reports reductions and expands naloxone access
Summary
County health officials said fentanyl is a leading driver in overdose fatalities but reported reductions in fatal overdoses and expanded prevention and harm-reduction programs, including Narcan distribution, youth prevention, crisis-stabilization expansion and plans for vending/kiosk distribution of supplies.
Montgomery County health officials told the Council that polysubstance use and fentanyl remain driving factors in overdose fatalities but that local interventions have coincided with reductions in some measures.
"Polysubstance use is still observed in all of our overdose fatalities in the county and that fentanyl still is a driving force," Ben Stevenson, acting manager for prevention and harm reduction services, told the Council. He said there were 20 fatal overdoses in Montgomery County during the first four months of the 2025 calendar year; 13 involved opioids, 12 involved fentanyl, four involved heroin and two involved prescription opioids. Alcohol and cocaine also contributed to some fatal cases.
Staff reported declines from 2023 to 2024: a 23% decrease in total fatal overdoses (six fewer cases), a 32% decrease in fatal overdoses involving opioids and a 25% decrease involving fentanyl for the county in the cited period. Youth measures improved as well: the county reported a 17% reduction in ER visits for the 10–21 age group and a 25% reduction in ER visits related to opioid overdose for that same group between FY23 and FY24.
Officials described multiple prevention and harm-reduction efforts: distribution and training for naloxone (4,879 people trained in FY24 and 9,762 doses distributed, per staff), overdose-response programs run by community organizations, Narcan kits through fire-rescue stations and library and community outreach. The county reported that 22 organizations or sites (various partners) now dispense naloxone as overdose-response programs and that telehealth and school-based education reach thousands of students.
Staff outlined service metrics for SUD interventions: from February 2024 to February 2025 the county’s emergency procurement SUD prevention program served 581 unduplicated youth with 828 contacts and produced 389 unique referrals (about 10 referrals per client) with 340 referrals successfully completed (87% completion). The county also re-established a youth residential program funded by opioid abatement monies and has expanded medication-assisted treatment in jails and recovery supports for people upon release.
Asked about harm-reduction vending machines, Stevenson said the county is working through procurement and will first deploy kiosks to hold Narcan and fentanyl test strips while formal vending procurement proceeds.
