The number of opioid overdoses in the county has decreased by nearly 25 percent, with overdose fatalities down by 37 percent, according to a report by the Anne Arundel County Department of Health and Anne Arundel County Police Department.
The county has had 234 total overdoses -- including 37 fatal overdoses so far this year, according to the report. By the same time last year , the county had 310 total overdoses with 59 fatal overdoses.
County police spokeswoman Jackie Davis considers drug education for the public, administration of Narcan and law enforcement to be factors that have helped decrease opioid overdoses in the county, specifically the introduction of Safe Stations, a program started two years ago making county fire and police stations available for people seeking treatment, care and a place to dispose of drug paraphernalia.