Drug-related deaths point to crisis, changes needed, reports say

Drug-related deaths statewide were up last year, but not in York County.

Pennsylvania State Coroners Association and the Drug Enforcement Administration reports show a 16 percent decrease locally from the prior year.

York County recorded 99 drug-related deaths, down from 120, according to a 2015 report on overdose death statistics from the coroners association.

Adams County recorded 10 drug-related deaths last year, up from fewer than 10 the previous year.

The majority of the deaths in both counties were tied to illegal drugs as well as opioids. Heroin and fentanyl were at the top of the list, according to the DEA's analysis of drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania.

"I would be thrilled if we would go down again this year," York County Coroner Pam Gay said.

Ex-NBA player who struggled with drugs to return to York

However, she said overdose deaths in July were almost as bad as in October, which had the highest number in 2015.

Police officers in York County started carrying and using Naloxone last year, and Gay said she thinks that has helped reduce the number of deaths.

She also pointed out that a needle-exchange program started this year, and she hopes it will help decrease the spread of communicable diseases, such as HIV.

Statewide, 3,505 drug-related deaths were recorded last year. That was a 30 percent increase from the previous year, the report from the coroners association states.

WATCH: A boy's 3-hour life, his mother's life-changing addiction to heroin

The reports point to a crisis with drug-related deaths. "...law enforcement, public health entities and educators need to address drug availability, drug treatment and drug education," the DEA's report states.

They shed light on the fact that overdose deaths have become more widespread, Gay said. While some counties have seen a decrease in the number, neighboring counties have shown an uptick.

Heroin in York County: Chronicling an epidemic

The report from the coroners association outlines some of the problems to be addressed:

• More parity is needed for addiction treatment. For example, some insurance companies do not complete paperwork for admittance on weekends. More facilities are needed, especially for families so they can stay together.
• More needs to be done with getting help for someone who overdoses. Giving someone a card of where treatment centers are is not enough, for example. Follow-up also is needed after administering Naloxone.
• Some patients who are not abusing drugs get "caught in a system trying to stop abuse," and policies should be discussed. For example, some prescriptions can only be refilled on the day they run out. That can make it hard for elderly people who do not drive to get to the pharmacy.