CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Officials in Camden County are celebrating another significant decrease in overdose deaths, with totals so far at their lowest in five years.
Reducing overdoses has been a mission in Camden County for more than a decade, according to County Commissioner Director Lou Cappelli.
“We had close to 1000 people show up at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in 2014 just begging for help,” he said. “People telling their stories in front of strangers about a sibling, a loved one in need of help but not able to get help. We’ve come a long way from then.”
According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, there were 59 drug overdose deaths in the first six months of the year in Camden County, down from 109 during this same period last year and 180 the year before. These reductions follow a national trend downward.
Camden County Commissioners Director Lou Cappelli called the statistic confirmation that what they’re doing is working. “We’re starting to see our efforts pay off. Everything from a public information campaign, to providing Narcan in every police department,” he said.
“It’s been a real joint partnership between the county, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and all the local police departments in Camden County.”
Many of the efforts to reduce overdoses in the county have been paid for with money provided to states from a settlement with opioid producers.
“It’s just been a great, great effort by everybody involved — Narcan training, test strips, boxes in all of our schools — so we’re really happy things are moving in the right direction.”
According to the CDC, this year has seen the lowest number of overdose deaths nationwide since June of 2020. Cappelli said the job is far from over and Camden County intends to keep working to reduce that number to zero.