Philadelphia expects a drop in the number of deaths from drug overdoses

PHILADELPHIA (KYW News Radio) — Drug overdoses remain a leading cause of death in Philadelphia, but a city official had a hopeful message to share with an audience of federal officials at the White House on Wednesday.

When the data is available, likely sometime next month, Philadelphia expects to see a slight decline in the number of people in the city who have died from drug overdoses. It would be the first decline since before the COVID-19 pandemic, said Keli McLoyd, deputy director of Philadelphia's Opioid Response Unit.

Philadelphia expects the number of overdose deaths to be around 1,300 in 2023. That would be about 100 fewer than in 2022 – but still more than in the years before the pandemic. And it's more than three times the number of homicide deaths in the city last year.

McLoyd spoke about the city's efforts to reduce cases at an event during Overdose Awareness Week (August 25-31) hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In attendance were families who have lost a loved one to an overdose and public health officials from across the country.

Philadelphia has tried several approaches, McLoyd said. She told officials about the city's “Trusted Messenger” model, which sends people into their own communities for one-on-one conversations.

“Between October and May, our campaign workers knocked on more than 100,000 doors, shared information about overdose treatment options and resources, and distributed Narcan and fentanyl test strips – especially in Black and brown neighborhoods where overdose rates are rising the fastest,” McLoyd said.

McLoyd said the city has doubled the number of naloxone doses distributed and is making more fentanyl test strips available because overdoses are related to the drug's toxicity.

“We talk about 'meeting people where they are' to increase psychological preparedness, but in the city of Philadelphia, it's really important that we literally meet people where they are. And the majority of people who die of an overdose actually die at home, alone,” McLoyd said.

“It's really important to have multiple responses – just like when we thought about COVID. It was about social distancing, wearing masks, staying home when you're sick. It was a multi-faceted response.”

ONDCP Director Rahul Gupta expressed hope that other cities will follow Philadelphia's example.

“I believe it is this kind of action – with compassion and empathy – that will lead us to help people,” he said.