Deadly Overdoses Sharply Decline In Camden County

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Overdose deaths have significantly decreased this year in Camden County, mirroring a New Jersey-wide trend, according to state data.

Camden County sustained 109 suspected drug deaths from January through June — down 39 percent from the first half of last year, according to the Chief State Medical Examiner's Office.

The progress signifies success in the county's fight against opioids and overdoses in recent years, according to local officials. Camden County formed an Addiction Awareness Task Force in 2014 — around the time that reported opioid deaths saw greater rise throughout the United States.

Since then, the county's efforts have included:

• Installing boxes of naloxone — a medicine that can quickly reverse an opioid epidemic — in every school, park, and county-owned building.
• Crafting the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program that treats inmates at the Camden County Correctional Facility — an initiative that's helped reduce overdoses for participants after getting released, according to research from the Camden Coalition.
• Using opioid-settlement funds to introduce a mobile Buprenorphine pilot program, where medically assisted treatment is dispersed from an outreach van that also provides take-home naloxone kits.
• Launching a fentanyl-awareness campaign.
• Providing free Narcan training sessions, fentanyl test strips and NaloxBoxes for social service organizations, along with mental-health support for those who lost a loved one to substance use disorder.

"We have worked tirelessly to combat this insidious epidemic and to see in real time that our efforts are working is an indescribable feeling," said County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. "This report shows that curbing overdose is possible through a variety of harm reduction measures such as making Narcan and medically assisted treatment, widely available.

"Furthermore, what can't be discounted is the wide range of educational initiatives we have funded and produced to warn the public of the deadly impact of fentanyl."

In recent years, Camden County has suffered the highest number of drug deaths per capita out of any county in the state. Camden County has sustained 119 suspected drugs this calendar year — the state's highest total besides Essex County, with 195.

But Camden County has shown progress from prior years. The county sustained 178 and 179 suspected drug deaths in the first half of 2022 and last year, respectively.

Statewide totals have reflected a similar downward trend:

• First half of 2022: 1,477 suspected drug deaths
• First half of 2023: 1,367 (year-over-year decrease of 7.4 percent)
• First half of 2024: 1,010 (26.1 percent year-over-year decrease)

The totals are subject to change as suspected drug deaths are confirmed.

During Camden County's decline in deadly overdoses, Naloxone administrations have also decreased from 851 in the first half of last year to 511 in the same timeframe this year.

Anyone seeking addiction assistance can call 1-844-ReachNJ (732-2465), which provides free professional support for people facing addiction and their loved ones. Camden County residents suffering from substance use disorder can call the Office of Mental Health and Addiction at 856-374-6361.