The overdose increase in the state of Delaware made national headlines throughout 2018. The numbers are still coming in, but the number of overdose deaths in Delaware may exceed 4,000 in 2018. That’s quite shocking, especially when you consider that the total number of overdose deaths in America is expected to hover at 70,000.

“In 2017, fentanyl was responsible for 6 out of 10 overdose deaths in Delaware.”

The rising overdose death rates in Delaware is largely attributed to fentanyl use. This prescription opioid is incredibly potent. It’s about 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin. Other top substances that cause overdoses include heroin and cocaine.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at this opioid epidemic below.

Which Counties Were Hit the Hardest?

Overdose deaths are spread out throughout Delaware. Researchers at the University of Delaware has been trying to pinpoint which counties were hit the hardest. They launched an initiative known as the Delaware Opioid Metric Intelligence Project. It’s basically a map that shows where overdoses happened between 2013 and 2017, and who were affected. Take a look at the map here.

We’ve summarized some of the data for you below:

• New Castle County was hit the hardest. This state has been heavily impacted by the rising heroin and opioid epidemic in America.
• Overdose death rates are spread out in Sussex County, another leading contender for the county with the highest overdose death rates, but concentrated in certain areas. Residents living in Seaford, Ocean View and Rehoboth Beach are most likely to be affected. The drug and alcohol poisoning death rate in the Atlanta Estates/ Heritage Village neighborhood of Seaford is about 96 people per 100,000.

This doesn’t mean that other counties are not affected. Overdose death rates in Delaware counties are some of the highest in all of America.

The Deadliest Month Ever in Drug Overdoses in 2018

August made national headlines in 2018. It was Delaware’s deadliest month ever, with 39 drug overdose deaths in just 31 days. These numbers don’t even factor in all of the near-death experiences that many drug addicts had. These substance abusers would have lost their lives if not for naloxone, the “antidote” to opioid overdoses. Without this medication, the total number of overdose death rates would have been significantly higher.

Naloxone is such a helpful medication that all emergency responders in Delaware are trained on how to administer this prescription drug.

Don’t Wait! Look for Addiction Treatment Today!

Delaware residents should be aware of these shocking numbers. More importantly, they should all band together to raise awareness to this issue, and try to reduce addiction rates.

If you or your loved ones abuse drugs or alcohol, it’s time to stop. If your abuse has turned into an addiction, seek professional help from rehab centers in Delaware as soon as possible. To combat this rising issue, Delaware has many addiction resources that will help you and your loved ones get clean and sober.

Don’t wait for your addiction to worsen. Get the help that you need today.