Those early-month numbers, from January, February and March, were heralded by some as showing the area’s progress toward tackling its unprecedented drug crisis. They provided evidence, possibly, that the local all-hands-on-deck approach was making a difference.
And while the county will, by year’s end, most likely improve from a nadir that encompassed 44 overdose deaths in 2017, it’s still battling a noxious plight that could once again kill more than two dozen of its most vulnerable residents.
During this year’s second quarter, the coroner’s office recorded 10 deaths involving drug overdoses. That brings the first-half total to 15 overdose deaths.
Most notably, four of the second-quarter deaths resulted from opiate abuse involving heroin, Fentanyl and opiate medications, according to Seele’s report. None of the first-quarter deaths involved opiates, something that was highlighted by the coroner in the year’s first report.
Seven of the second-quarter deaths involved non-opiate polysubstance abuse, including benzodiazepines (medication used primarily to treat anxiety) and other non-scheduled prescription medication.
Two of the cases were the result of victims huffing computer duster, and one case involved methamphetamine. Alcohol was a contributing factor in two of the overdose cases.
With 15 reported overdose deaths through the year’s first six months, Howard County fared significantly better than the first half of 2017, when there were 23 confirmed overdose deaths from January through June.
Overall, 2017 saw a yearend count of 44 drug overdose deaths, making it by far the deadliest year for overdoses in Howard County history, surpassing the previous high of 34 in 2015.