More people died of drug overdoses in Montgomery County in the first seven months of 2016 than for the entirety of 2015.
That sad fact is part of the reason the total number of overdoses recorded by police in the county is up 138 percent so far in 2016, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's office.
There were 260 overdoses through July 24, with 85 of those fatal, the DA's office said in a release Thursday. Last year, there were 187 overdoses and 71 deaths for all 12 months.
District Attorney Kevin Steele said in the release that law enforcement in the county is attacking the growing problem.
“We are attacking the crisis on all fronts: through arrests and law enforcement efforts, educational efforts, our Prescription Drug Disposal Program and by equipping police with the life-saving drug naloxone," Steele said.
He said officers at 33 of 49 police departments in Montgomery County are now equipped with Narcan, the brand name for the overdose-reversal drug naloxone.
“It is our goal to equip all 49 police departments with this life-saving drug to help protect the lives of our citizens,” Steele said. “Given the emergence of fentanyl, an officer or his K-9 partner could accidentally inhale fentanyl while securing drug evidence and go into respiratory distress, requiring immediate treatment with naloxone.”
