Broome County has released data showing a 43 percent decline in suspected fatal overdoses and a 29 percent drop in nonfatal overdoses last year compared to 2024. The county also officially opened the next round of proposals for Opioid Settlement Funding.

“This progress is a result of years of sustained investment,” Broome County Executive Jason Garnar ‘99 said to WBNG. “And a coordinated, county-wide approach that brings together public health, mental health, law enforcement, service providers, and community partners, all working towards the same goal of saving lives.”

Since 2023, when the funds became available, 10 community partners in the surrounding area have been collectively awarded $2 million in funding from the county health department. These organizations include the Addiction Center of Broome County, Family & Children’s Counseling Services, Helio, Hope Foundation of Binghamton, Lourdes Youth Services, Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network, New York State Harm Reduction Association, Rural Health Network, Trail of Truth, Truth Pharm and United Health Services. Suspected overdoses have decreased by 57 percent since that year.

County officials credited the use and distribution of Opioid Settlement Funds as part of why the number of overdoses in the county declined over such a short period of time.

“In 2024, on the tenth anniversary of losing my son, our organization set a bold goal: to reduce overdose fatalities to pre-epidemic levels within five years,” wrote Alexis Pleus, executive director of Truth Pharm, in a statement to Pipe Dream. “We are fortunate to have strong leadership at the Broome County Health Department that is addressing overdose fatalities through a broad, evidence-based approach that includes harm reduction and direct support for families and communities most impacted.”

Recent research conducted by Ibraheem M. Karaye and colleagues suggested that overdose-related deaths were increasing over the last two decades, with death rates going beyond national averages in recent years in New York state. Such research suggests that targeted public health interventions may be warranted.

The National Harm Reduction Coalition highlighted the importance of understanding drug use as a “complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum of behaviors.” They encourage harm reduction practice that focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of drug use instead of condemning them. Additionally, the coalition supports the delivery of services that are nonjudgmental but take into consideration the real dangers linked to illicit drug use.

“With the support of Broome County through both CDC funding and Opioid Settlement Funds, we have installed 75 Naloxboxes across the county, certified 98 new Broome Overdose Prevention Specialists, trained over 2,000 community members how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose and have become the county’s largest distributor of Naloxone,” Pleus wrote. “We have also expanded access to desperately needed services for community members struggling with substance use and for their families.”

Marissa Knapp, the director of the Overdose Prevention Program, said her team is encouraging innovative and creative proposals for the new round of funding that address a wide variety of needs but still meet people where they are.

For organizations looking for funding to aid in treatment, recovery, prevention and education initiatives, applications are being accepted on the Broome County website until March 16, 2026.

“Broome County has demonstrated what it looks like to invest in grassroots organizations and take a whole-community approach to saving lives,” wrote Pleus. “With that support, we believe we are well on our way to achieving our goal.”