Steuben County overdoses decreased in August

Posted: Sep 19, 2023 / 02:47 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 20, 2023 / 06:53 PM EDT

STEUBEN COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) — The number of overdoses reported in Steuben County decreased during the month of August.

According to the Steuben County Public Health Department, 23 overdoses were reported in the county last month. One of these overdoses was fatal, and Narcan was administered for five of the overdoses. This is the lowest number of reported overdoses the county has seen in months. There were 39 overdoses reported in July, 42 in June, 40 in May, and 32 in April.

“We are pleased to see the number of overdoses and fatalities decreased significantly this past month,” said Public Health Director Darlene Smith. “Steuben County Public Health and our partners have been focusing much energy in providing Narcan training and making Narcan kits accessible in a variety of places throughout the county.”

The Public Health Department broke down the August overdoses by what substance was suspected to have caused the overdose. Four of the overdoses were suspected to have been caused by opioids, four of the overdose reports did not specify the substance, and the remaining 15 overdoses were caused by substances other than opioids. These other substances include cocaine, alcohol, methamphetamines, and prescription drugs.

Help to prevent overdoses is available to the public. Steuben County’s website has information about administering Narcan. In-person Narcan training can be scheduled by contacting the Steuben Prevention Coalition’s Opioid Committee or by calling Steuben Public Health at 607-664-2438.

Those seeking help for addiction use can call one of the following numbers: