By Mark Payne
June 20, 2023
The number of drug overdose deaths dropped in Kentucky last year, according to the most recent report from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. But deaths from fentanyl and methamphetamine still remain high.
Experts in NKY are saying that fentanyl and methamphetamine are what they see the most, too.
In the report, 2,135 Kentuckians died from a drug overdose in 2022. That number is down from 2,250 in 2021 but is up from 1,964 in 2020.
“So many have been lost, including children, parents, aunts and uncles, even grandparents, each one deeply loved, and each one mourned by their communities,” said Gov. Andy Beshear when announcing the report last week.
Most deaths occurred from fentanyl, with 1,548 succumbing to a fentanyl overdose — roughly 72.5% attributed to the drug in 2022. In 2021, 1,652 died from fentanyl.
“Seventy percent of all overdose deaths in the United States, over 70% of all overdose deaths in Kentucky are caused by this scourge,” said Van Ingram, the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy executive director.
Kenton County Coroner Amber Constantino said that what the state sees is consistent with what her office sees in the state’s third-largest county.
“In Kenton County, fentanyl is positive in toxes (short for toxicology screens) eight out of 10 times,” Constantino said.
Kenton is the third-highest county in the state, with fentanyl overdose deaths at 57 of 65. Jefferson County, the largest county in the state, had 419. Fayette, the second largest county, had 137.
Beshear said that the Kentucky State Police seized more than 13,000 doses of fentanyl.
Constantino said that when they provide toxicology screens, there are other drugs, such as methamphetamine and cocaine, present.
Methamphetamine was the second on the list, with 1,069 overdose deaths statewide in 2022.
“The two main drugs that we’re encountering are fentanyl and methamphetamine, and the big change that we’ve seen over the last year, year and a half, is a switch to counterfeit pills,” said Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force Executive Director Scott Hardcorn.
Ingram reiterated this in the press conference with Beshear.
“It’s not bad enough that we have fentanyl — we have fentanyl disguised as everything else,” Ingram said. “It’s disguised as a legitimate prescription drug — Percocet, Xanax, Adderall — all drugs are being presented as pharmaceuticals, but really fentanyl is the active ingredient.”
A bill that legalized fentanyl test strips passed the Kentucky legislature in the waning hours of the 2023 legislative session and was sponsored by NKY legislator Rep. Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill). The strips allow drug users to test for the presence of chemicals, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds in controlled substances.
Before its passing, drug testing strips were considered under the umbrella of drug paraphernalia — a crime leading to a Class A misdemeanor.
“With Kentucky experiencing record rates of drug overdoses and those suffering from substance abuse disorder, we must do everything we can to help lessen these numbers,” Moser said at the time.
Further, the state is expected to spend about $80.6 million through the Office of Drug Control Policy to support addiction treatment and prevention efforts. The commonwealth has also increased treatment beds by about 50%.