Opioid overdoses increase in Montgomery County as leaders work to curb spike

The drug crisis continues to grow in Montgomery County as more children and teens are ending up in the emergency room due to opioid overdoses.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The drug crisis continues to grow in Montgomery County as more children and teens are ending up in the emergency room due to opioid overdoses.

Public health and school officials in the County are focused on prevention and life-saving training to help address the crisis.

The district has hosted several family forums on fentanyl, which includes an overview of prevention tools like Narcan, a nasal spray that can help save someone experiencing an opioid overdose.

On Wednesday, County leaders received a briefing about the County's response to the opioid crisis.

According to data from Montgomery County Police, overdoses among residents 21-years-old rose by 77 percent in 2022.

There were 48 youth overdoses in 2022, 11 of which were fatal.

This is compared to 2021, when there were 27 reported youth overdoses, five of which were fatal.