Butler County Health Dept releases county overdose report

The number of drug overdose deaths in Butler County nearly doubled from 2013 to 2017.

Most of the 868 people that died of an overdose in that five-year period had either heroin or fentanyl — the lion’s share of those people had both drugs — in their system.

This comes from a new Butler County Health Department report released this past week. The report is the first time that shows data points about overdose deaths, emergency room visits, a rise in diseases and city-specific overdose death reports in one document, said Health Commissioner Jenny Bailer.

“I think that this helps in planning where to focus resources and time in terms of interventions,” she said. “The part that interests me the most is the geospatial kinds of things, so where things are happening at rates much higher than other places. And that will tell people like me who plan programs and responses where to target our efforts.”

Hamilton, Middletown, Fairfield and West Chester Twp. have seen the most overdose deaths, and emergency room visits from 2013 to 2017, according to the report. These four communities are also the county’s largest regarding population.

Here’s where each stand:

HAMILTON

There was a 101.6 percent increase in annual rates of overdose deaths from 2013 to 2017 where 344 people died from a drug overdose. Of that number, 218 died in their home.

Nearly 40 percent of those who died were between 35 and 49 years old.

MIDDLETOWN

There was a 159.1 percent increase in annual rates of overdose deaths from 2013 to 2017 where 251 people died from a drug overdose. Of that number, 180 died in their home.

More than 38 percent of those who died were between 35 and 49 years old.

According to the city of Middletown, which has hosted more than a dozen heroin summits, has seen a near-60 percent decrease in opioid overdoses through the first four months of 2018 compared to the first four months of 2017.

FAIRFIELD

There was a 64 percent increase in annual rates of overdose deaths from 2013 to 2017 where 77 people died from a drug overdose. Of that number, 54 died in their home.

Roughly 41.5 percent of those who died were between 35 and 49 years old.

WEST CHESTER TWP.

There was a 385.7 percent increase in annual rates of overdose deaths from 2013 to 2017 where 38 people died from a drug overdose. Of that number, 33 died in their home.

More than 70 percent of those who died in West Chester Twp. were between 20 and 34 years old (39.57 percent) and 50 and 64 years old (31.57 percent).

The increase in diseases (HIV and Hepatitis C) and trips to the emergency room weren’t broken down by a community, but rather ZIP code.

Most of the drug-related ER visits from Butler County went to either Atrium Medical Center in Middletown (1,082) or Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton (999).

Other hospitals include Bethesda North Hospital in Montgomery (334), West Chester Hospital in West Chester Twp. (232), Bethesda Butler Hospital in Hamilton (216) and Mercy Hospital-Fairfield (186).

Newly diagnosed Hepatitis C cases have increased from 190 in 2002 to 757 new cases in 2017. New HIV cases have increased from three and two cases reported in 2002 and 2003, respectively, to 27 new cases in 2017.

Those numbers, Bailer said, “are alarmingly high.”

“That is a problem for all of us because anyone of us can accidentally be exposed to a used needle inadvertently when we’re not expecting it, like at a park, a playground or a parking lot,” she said. “It’s concerning for first-responders who are doing searches of vehicles or belongings. Having so many people with diseases sharing needles means the needles in our communities are capable of spreading diseases, so that’s something we want to get a handle on as soon as possible.”

Butler County communities are proactively trying to figure out how to reverse growing trends of drug use. There are five drug prevention coalitions, three opioid task forces and six quick response teams with two additional teams being developed, according to the county health department.

There are also free Narcan kits at the Butler County Health Department through the state's Project DAWN initiative.

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About the Author

Michael D. Pitman

Michael D. Pitman has been a reporter in southwest Ohio since 1999. He's covered local governments in Warren and Butler counties, as well as state and national issues. He currently covers the cities of Fairfield and Hamilton.