Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death nationally and locally, and are completely preventable. Most drug overdose deaths are caused by opioids, especially fentanyl, which can be found in street drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and fake prescription pills.
Most fatal fentanyl overdoses in Genesee and Orleans Counties involve both fentanyl and cocaine. In some cases, people may be intentionally using both drugs, or the cocaine may be contaminated with fentanyl.
Even when used alone, cocaine or other stimulants can also cause deaths, usually through heart attacks, strokes, or other cardiovascular events. Older adults and people with cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol are at especially high risk of death from using cocaine or other stimulants.
GO Health works with stakeholders locally through the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming CARES Alliance and other partnerships to reduce the burden of substance use disorder and fatal overdoses in the community. We also regularly hold Fatality Review Boards, a confidential and multi-disciplinary process for identifying risk factors and circumstances that led to untimely deaths from overdose or suicide, and for implementing solutions in the community to prevent future loss of life.
Genesee & Orleans Counties Overdose Dashboard
Many resources and strategies are available to protect you and your loved ones from overdose deaths:
Narcan (naloxone) nasal spray can be used to reverse an opioid overdose, and should be administered to anyone who is showing signs of having difficulty breathing or who is not breathing at all, regardless of whether the person is known to have taken an opioid.
Narcan is available at no cost from the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming CARES Alliance simply by texting “KIT” to 1-877-535-2461. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments offer Narcan trainings to community members. If you are interested in getting trained on how to administer Narcan, contact your respective health department.
Fentanyl test strips, which can be used to check for fentanyl in drugs, are available at no cost from the MATTERS Network.
People who use cocaine or other drugs can reduce their risk by never using alone, taking turns when using drugs with others, or calling the Never Use Alone Hotline at 1-800-484-3731.
Treatment for substance use disorders is available locally from Hope Haven Center, Horizon Health Services, and UConnectCare.
A 24-hour peer hotline staffed by UConnectCare can be reached at (585) 815-1800.
A mobile Linkage to Care app is available for download to your phone to help residents connect with a variety of services such as 24-hour assistance lines, detox programs, inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, medication for opioid use disorder, self-help meetings, and sharps disposal locations. Download now:
Entry points to treatment are also available in person 24 hours a day at the following locations through the Public Safety Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI).
Deaths from excessive drinking are on the rise in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 178,000 people die each year in the United States of excessive alcohol use, which is almost 500 people per day. People who drink excessively die in motor vehicle crashes, from drug and alcohol poisonings and suicides, and from chronic illnesses like liver disease, heart disease, and cancer.
Motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired driving kill one person every 39 minutes in the United States. That is 37 deaths every day. Drinking and driving isn’t a victimless crime, either. Almost one in three people who die in drinking-and-driving crashes are passengers, pedestrians, and people in other cars. To learn more about how alcohol affects driving ability, even at low blood alcohol concentrations, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s webpage on buzzed driving.
In addition to never drinking and driving, you can lower the risk of alcohol to your health by only drinking in moderation, which means no more than two standard drinks per day for men and one standard drink for women. It is also important to not drink during pregnancy or if you may be pregnant, because alcohol use during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Resources from the CDC on alcohol use:
Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of disease and death in the United States. Every year it kills about 450,000 Americans, and millions more live with diseases caused by smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Smoking causes many deaths in people who don’t smoke, too. The CDC reports that about 41,000 adults and 400 children die each year in the United States from secondhand smoke, which can cause heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and pneumonia.
Smoking rates are higher in Genesee and Orleans Counties than they are on average in New York State, putting local residents at higher risk of death and disability from diseases caused by smoking and secondhand smoke.
For more information on smoking and resources to help quit: