Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell released drug overdose death data Tuesday for
the third quarter of 2019. Nine deaths have been confirmed.
Third quarter overdose deaths by year:
• 2019: 9
• 2018: 9
• 2017: 13
• 2016: 24
Historically the summer months see the highest number of overdose deaths. Prior to the third quarter, Broome County reported a spike of 12 deaths in March, including six in a 10-day period, prompting officials to declare a State of Emergency and create a Drug Overdose Response Team to monitor and respond to the spike in overdoses (fatal and non-fatal).
As part of this effort, specific scenarios and criteria have been developed to identify an irregular spike in drug overdoses, including historical data, trends, frequency, potency, etc. In the event of a spike in overdoses, the team will convene an emergency meeting to evaluate the situation and implement
a plan to reduce the harm to the public.
