BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — The Butler County Coroner’s Office is reporting five suspected overdose deaths in a period of five days earlier this month. An employee of the office said the numbers are “significant” compared to what the county typically sees.
The suspected overdose deaths took place between Oct. 20 and Oct. 25. The substances that might have contributed to the deaths are still under investigation.
Four took place in Middletown and one took place in Hamilton.
“Those are five people who were someone's child, someone's friend, and they're all gone right before the holidays,” said AmandaLynn Reese, Harm Reduction Ohio’s chief program officer.
There have been 110 known or suspected overdose deaths in Butler County so far this year, according to the latest count from the coroner’s office on Oct. 30. There were 184 overdose deaths in the county last year.
Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan, who helped launch the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, said fentanyl remains a key threat in the region. He did not wish to comment on Butler County directly but spoke to WCPO about threats across the Tri-State.
“Fentanyl is causing most of the damage,” he said. “You'll see additives put in whether it's xylazine, nitazines. Anything that's added to it is just trying to take that fentanyl up a notch.”
Synan said harm reduction programs are critical in reducing overdose deaths.
Harm reduction programs can, in some cases, provide tools for people who use drugs to do so more safely, until they’re able to quit. These programs often also include tools to reduce disease transmission, as well as connect people who utilize the programs with various resources.
“You cannot get somebody into recovery who's not alive,” he said.
Synan said these programs often serve as access points where people who struggle with substance use can connect to outreach workers who can help them seek treatment.
“It’s not just giving out Naloxone or a needle, it is a person talking to someone,” he said. “I think what people don't understand is there's many people being connected to treatment from that initial contact. If they're not connected right off the bat, they build a relationship with somebody, and we're able to follow up with them and then connect that person to treatment later.”
It was just a few weeks ago that one harm reduction program shut down its Middletown location.
The Syringe Service Program had been set up in the Access Counseling Services parking lot in Middletown for over a year, according to the Butler County General Health District. It stopped providing service on Sept. 1.
The program had struggled to find a permanent location, moving locations multiple times before landing at that temporary spot.
In September, the Butler County General Health District said it was still working to find a new location. No new address had been posted online as of Oct. 31.
“The loss of resources is devastating to any type of marginalized or victimized or disparaged community,” Reese said.
While it’s impossible to link the site’s closure to the five recent suspected overdose deaths, Reese said the timing is noteworthy.
“Those folks talk to the people at those sites,” she said. “They don't just get needles or pipes or wound care supplies. They talk to a person who cares about them that knows their name. You didn't just take away a resource, you took away a community member, a family member, and now that's a barrier to treatment.”
There are several resources that provide harm reduction tools online.
One of those is NEXT Distro. When you select your state of residence, the organization will direct you to various services that provide overdose-reversal medication and drug testing strips. Mail-based options are available in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Ohio residents can also order overdose-reversal medication here.
Thrive For Change is an organization that provides free overdose-reversal medication and fentanyl test strips. The organization also provides links to peer support and treatment.
Hamilton County provides several links to various resources as well, including the African American Engagement Workgroup (AAEW). The AAEW ensures African Americans are able to connect with available and accessible treatment options.
ShipHappens provides free overdose-reversal medication in Indiana, as well as free HIV home testing kits.
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