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Montgomery County reports fall in drug‑related deaths, renews push for April 26 drug take‑back
Summary
The coroner and district attorney said drug deaths in the county have declined to their lowest level since 2011; officials urged residents to use the April 26 take‑back program and emphasized Narcan distribution and multiagency response as likely contributors.
Montgomery County officials on Thursday reported a decline in drug‑related deaths, with the coroner and the district attorney calling the trend “encouraging” while urging continued prevention and treatment efforts.
Dr. Janine Darby, Montgomery County coroner, and District Attorney Kevin Steele said drug‑related deaths are down to their lowest level since 2011, citing a year‑over‑year decrease they described as significant. “Every time we talk about a number that's a life,” Steele said, pressing for continued multiagency work to reduce fatalities.
The nut graf: County leaders credited a combination of responses — expanded distribution of naloxone (Narcan), law‑enforcement efforts treating some fatal overdoses as criminal investigations, expanded treatment linkages, and community programs — for contributing to the decline, but emphasized fentanyl remains the leading cause of drug fatalities.
Steele described fentanyl as the primary poison behind many deaths and said the county and local police have deployed naloxone widely to save lives. He also said law enforcement and prosecutors have pursued investigations of drug delivery resulting in death when evidence supports charges; the county has investigated hundreds of such cases in recent years. “This is something that we faced… when somebody goes to the coroner's office they're taking their blood and we're measuring to see what it is that is killing people — that's the poison, fentanyl,” Steele said.
Dr. Darby added that accidental deaths, many drug related, remain the coroner’s second most common manner of death after natural causes, and presented slides showing recent declines relative to earlier peaks. Officials urged the public to bring unused medications to the county’s semiannual drug take‑back collection; the next countywide event is scheduled for April 26 with 38 locations, including police departments and three participating food stores.
Officials outlined what is accepted at take‑back sites (tablets, capsules, inhalers, vaping products, creams, ointments, nasal sprays and pet medication) and what is not accepted (liquids, needles). Steele said the county has collected and destroyed more than 31,000 pounds of medication since 2010 through take‑back efforts.
Ending: County leaders said the decline is cause for cautious optimism but not complacency and urged continued use of naloxone, treatment referrals and participation in take‑back day to keep momentum going.
