Health officials in Onondaga, Oswego increase efforts to reduce the harms of drug use and connect residents to needed services
By Stefan Yablonski
Onondaga County, like much of the United States, is facing a drug overdose crisis.
To face this epidemic head on, the Onondaga County Health Department’s Substance Use Initiatives team works to reduce the harms of drug use and connect residents to needed services.
From 2021 to 2023, the number of opioid-related overdose fatalities in Onondaga County decreased by 18%.
“While we are encouraged by this progress, the Onondaga County Health Department will continue to work with community partners to prevent and treat substance use disorders and to increase access to life-saving harm reduction supplies for individuals and families,” a team spokesperson said.
According to the Onondaga County Health Department and the medical examiner’s office, the opioid crisis claimed 113 lives in the first three quarters of 2023. But that was down from a peak of 186 deaths 2021.
Unfortunately, the growing opioid epidemic sweeping this country has not spared Oswego County, according to Oswego County Public Health Director Vera Dunsmoor.
“Here at the health department, we are increasing our efforts to provide harm reduction resources and services to raise public awareness and prevent more losses,” she said.
The department is also collaborating with other community partners such as first responders, law enforcement, social services and others to target any gaps in services and enhance overdose interventions.
The road to recovery from opioid addiction is a challenging one, but those who are committed to it can be successful with the right supports, lifestyle changes and treatment options, Dunsmoor added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a decrease in the number of fatal overdoses in New York — as well as across the country.
Health.ny.gov reports the percentage of opioid deaths in New York state rose from 2,166 in 2015 to 5,017 in 2021. Then the following two years, the CDC cites a decrease in opioid deaths. In 2022, there were 3,401 overdoses in the state, excluding New York City. In 2023, 3,225 overdoses — a decrease that amounts to 5.17%.
Naloxone distribution and training
The Oswego County Health Department has been a registered participant in the New York state opioid overdose prevention program since 2021.
Through this program, it has been able to dramatically increase the amount of naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, distributed to the community.
The Onondaga County Health Department’s Substance Use Initiatives program has also distributed more than 10,000 naloxone kits and more than 15,000 Fentanyl and Xylazine test strips to help prevent overdose fatalities in the community.
Priorities of the program include:
• Preventing fatal overdose
• Education, prevention and public outreach
• Increasing access to harm reduction services
• Streamlining access to care
• Improving data coordination
• Stigma Reduction
Call or text the confidential Harm Reduction supplies line at 315-418-5365 for free narcan and fentanyl test strips.
Naloxone distributed in Oswego County:
• 47 in 2021
• 205 in 2022
• 270 in 2023
• 828 in 2024
OCHD’s distribution of naloxone from 2023 to 2024 (year to date) represents an increase of more than 206%.
That number is expected to rise as distribution continues for the remainder of this year.
To request a free Narcan training and learn of other types of harm reduction from the Oswego County Health Department, go to https://health.oswegocounty.com/overdose_prevention.php
Communities can reduce rates of overdose deaths involving fentanyl by expanding access to naloxone, test strips, providing education, and monitoring data to facilitate effective response activities.
The Oswego County Health Department offers free, no-contact, mail order fentanyl and Xylazine testing strips with the option of adding naloxone to the order.
To request mail order harm reduction supplies visit the department’s website at https://tinyurl.com/bddks7yp.
Naloxone and training have been given to various community members, college students, justice-involved individuals and county staff such as Oswego County Department of Social Services’ caseworkers and other home visiting staff. Additional recipients include organizations such as fire departments, food establishments, churches, ARISE, ConnextCare and Integrated Community Planning. OCHD also provides naloxone for the Oswego County Opioid Response Consortium’s harm reduction kits, Dunsmoor said.
Community partnerships
Oswego County Health Department takes a collaborative approach to address the ongoing opioid and overdose epidemic.
In 2023, Oswego County launched the Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) made up of multi-disciplinary community stakeholders.
It includes first responders and treatment providers as well as representatives from law enforcement and criminal justice, mental health and hygiene, social services, education, health care and hospitals and community-based organizations, Dunsmoor said.
The goal of the PHAST is to increase collaboration and the sharing of local data across various sectors to develop interventions that target any gaps in services around the county, she explained.
OCHD is also working on establishing a county-wide Overdose Fatality Review Team to help prevent future overdose deaths by implementing recommendations identified from a case review process, she added.
