WEST CHESTER — The opioid crisis continues to take lives in Chester County, local officials said Monday.
The Chester County Coroner’s Office released data Monday on deaths due to drug overdose in Chester County for the year as of June 30, 2018. A total of 59 people died of a drug overdose during this period, with 57 deaths determined to be accidental and two due to suicide.
Since the number of drug overdose deaths varies widely from month to month, the Coroner’s Office cautioned that it is not possible to accurately estimate a total for 2018 from these mid-year data.
The demographic profile of those who died of a drug overdose so far in 2018 is similar to that for 2017, with the affected population remaining predominantly white men in the 25-44 year age range.
| Characteristic | 2017
(N=153) |
2018 YTD
(N=59) |
| Age 25-44 years | 47% | 55.9% |
| Gender – Male | 69.3% | 76.3% |
| Race – White | 91.5% | 76.3% |
Toxicological testing performed as part of the Coroner’s office investigations continued to find illicit synthetic opioids in the majority of drug-related deaths. Illicit synthetic opioids include fentanyl, fentanyl-related substances, and non-prescription synthetic opioids, with one or more of these substances documented in approximately 78% of deaths so far this year. Heroin was present in 43% and cocaine in 35% of deaths, often in combination with fentanyl.
Data on drug overdose fatalities are reported to overdosefreepa.org and detailed information on demographics and all the drugs involved can be viewed at that site.
