The distribution of Narcan is considered one of the key components that have helped reduce drug overdose deaths in Chautauqua County in 2024. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

In the first seven months of 2023, 10 people in the Dunkirk ZIP code lost their lives due to overdose deaths. During that same period in 2024, there was not a single known overdose death in either the city or town.

While Dunkirk’s drop in overdose death is quite dramatic, countywide overdose deaths are down significantly as well.

Steve Kilburn serves as the substance use and addiction services coordinator with Chautauqua County. He is quick to point out that while things can change quickly, he believes significant progress is being made.

“We’ve seen a 51% reduction in overdose fatalities this year, compared to that same time period last year,” he said in an interview with The Post-Journal and OBSERVER.

Last year was the all-time high of overdose deaths in the county with 61 confirmed.

This year, as of Sept. 10, there have been 22 confirmed overdose deaths.

“Obviously this is an encouraging trend. … The number is not zero. There are still families grieving the loss of a loved one. But nevertheless, for a severe problem of the sort that our county has faced, to see this reduction is really quite striking,” he said.

OVERDOSE DEATHS RECENT HISTORY

Ever since the pandemic, drug overdose deaths have jumped.

In 2020 there were 41 overdose fatalities. It was the first time overdose deaths had topped 40.

The next year those numbers jumped even higher. In 2021, there were 59 overdose deaths, and in 2022, there were 53 overdose deaths.

The 61 lives lost last year was more than double less than a decade ago. In 2015, Chautauqua County had 23 overdose fatalities.

The rise in overdose deaths is generally believed to have been caused by fentanyl, which is detected in about 90% of all overdose deaths.

“That’s the deadly drug, the short-term deadly drug, the overdose deadly drug – it’s fentanyl,” he said.

At the same time, Kilburn said upward of 70% to 80% of all overdose deaths include a stimulant, which is generally methamphetamine or cocaine. Many times those taking a stimulant don’t realize that they’ve taken fentanyl as well.

Kilburn believes dealers mix fentanyl into things like cocaine to try to get people addicted quicker and stronger. But sometimes the fentanyl is too high and someone dies as a result.

“Apparently in the cartels’ minds, this is the cost of doing business,” he said.

WHY THE DROP IN OVERDOSE DEATHS

At the beginning of 2024, the Chautauqua County Department of Health made it a goal to reduce overdose deaths by 33% by the end of 2025. So far they’re meeting their initial goal.

In fact, Chautauqua County has been making more progress than other places.

Nationwide, Kilburn said as of April 2024, overdose deaths were down 10% in the nation. New York state saw a drop of 13%. In nearby Erie County (NY), drug overdose deaths were down by 6% as of June.

While Kilburn believes there are multiple factors for the drop, one of the biggest ones is the availability of Narcan, the brand name of the drug naloxone, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

New York state has made Narcan available for counties to distribute free of charge, and the public is using it. “They’re seeing Narcan as first aid,” Kilburn said.

In fact, according to Kilburn, in half of the overdose cases that Alstar Ambulance responds to, the victim has already been treated with Narcan before they arrive.

There are other factors as well.

In the fall of 2022, New York state mandated a Medically Assisted Treatment program be instituted at all jails across the county. To pay for this, Chautauqua County voted to use its opioid settlement funds to fund the program.

Kilburn estimates that around 300 inmates have received treatment through this program. He calls it the biggest treatment center in the county.

“Many of those people would not have entered treatment if it wasn’t available in this setting,” he said.

In addition, Kilburn credits the county’s many different partners in battling drug addiction. Those include UPMC Chautauqua, The Resource Center, the Chautauqua Center, Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County, TLC Health Network, Prevention Works, Safe Point Lighthouse, Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, Evergreen Health, Chautauqua Health Network, Hope Chautauqua, the Chautauqua County Health Department, and Recovery Options Made Easy. These partners meet together on a regular basis.

Kilburn also gave a shout out to law enforcement and their continued crackdown of illegal drugs.

He notes that there’s lot of prevention efforts going on at schools and advertising about the dangers of fentanyl and its deadly effects.

Kilburn looks at all of these factors working together to save lives.

Recently, he gave a presentation at the Chautauqua County Legislature’s Human Services Committee about their progress in batting overdose deaths.

He noted that if this is going to continue long term, it’s the continued education component that is needed.

“It is crucial that we prepare a generation to be able to function and resist what is unlikely to change in our culture in the form of exposure and access to addictive drugs,” he said.