THE SHOOTING REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION TONIGHT. NEW DATA FROM THE JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHOWING DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE DOWN FROM 2023 TO 2024. 米兰体育 13 AARON LEWELLYN WENT TO ROSS RECOVERY CENTER TODAY TO FIND OUT WHAT鈥橲 LEADING TO THE IMPROVEMENT. THE PAIN KYLE BURGER FEELS HASN鈥橳 GOTTEN ANY EASIER OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. I鈥橵E LOST 22 FRIENDS NOW, AND MY LITTLE SISTER AND AND MY OLDER SISTER ACTUALLY ALMOST LOST HER ABOUT A MONTH AGO. ACCORDING TO THE JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, 165 FEWER PEOPLE DIED OF DRUG OVERDOSES IN 2024 THAN 2023. I鈥橫 SUPER HAPPY THAT THE THAT THERE鈥橲 A DECLINE. THAT DOESN鈥橳 MEAN WE LET OFF THE GAS. JULIE RAY WITH THE ROSS RECOVERY CENTER, SAYS THAT DECLINE IN NUMBERS IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF NARCAN AND FENTANYL TEST STRIPS. THIS MEDICATION, IT DOES SAVE LIVES. AND I MEAN, OF COURSE, THE STATISTICS I GAVE SHOW THAT IT DOES. AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THESE LIFE SAVING MEASURES HAVE BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE. BEFORE IT WAS ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO $60, AND YOU CAN STILL BUY IT AT PHARMACIES. BUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE IT TO YOU FOR FREE, ALONG WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THIS FOLEY BUT FOR BERMAN, THAT HAPPENED FAR TOO LATE TO SAVE THOSE HE LOVED. WE NEEDED IT YEARS AGO, AND IF WE DID, MY SISTER MIGHT STILL BE HERE. AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD STILL BE HERE. BOTH BERMAN AND RAY BATTLED ADDICTION, BUT ARE IN RECOVERY NOW. THEY HAVE MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO PREVENT OTHER FAMILIES FROM SUFFERING ANOTHER PAINFUL LOSS. I鈥橵E BEEN GIVEN THE GIFT OF RECOVERY AND TO FIND A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. AND THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN鈥橳 BEEN GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. AARON LEWELLYN, 米兰体育 13. RAY SAYS SINCE LAST YEAR, ROSS RECOVERY HAS GIVEN OUT MORE THAN 2000 NARCA
'My sister would still be here': Jefferson County drug overdose deaths drop, Narcan access improves
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Updated: 9:54 PM CDT May 21, 2025
New data from the Jefferson County Department of Health shows drug overdose deaths are down from 2023 to 2024.According to the Department of Health, 165 fewer people died of drug overdoses in 2024 than in 2023. Julie Ray with ROSS Recovery Center believes that the decline in numbers is largely because of Narcan and fentanyl test strips, and over the past few years, these life-saving measures have become more accessible.鈥淭his medication 鈥� it does save lives 鈥� and of course, the statistics show that it does,鈥� Ray said.Like Ray, Kyle Berman battled addiction as well. He鈥檚 lost 22 people to a drug overdose, one of those people being his younger sister. He was even close to losing his oldest sister because of an overdose just a month ago. He鈥檚 happy to see the numbers decline, but he feels that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 time to 鈥渓et off the gas.鈥濃�80,000 deaths,鈥� Berman said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot. It鈥檚 not 110,000. That鈥檚 80,000, and that鈥檚 not a number. 80,000 people. 80,000 families were affected. A lot of those people were mothers, fathers, children, brothers, and each person that is related or close to them is affected.鈥漅ay estimates that since last year, Ross Recovery has given out more than 2,000 Narcan kits and 3,000 fentanyl test strips.Berman told 米兰体育 13 he鈥檚 working on a Narcan community responder network. It involves an app that will alert users who are willing to respond to a drug overdose if one happens. He hopes this will help cut down on response times. He鈥檚 also developing a wearable overdose detection device and alert system. He hopes to partner with Garmin to make the app compatible with the company鈥檚 devices.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — New data from the Jefferson County Department of Health shows drug overdose deaths are down from 2023 to 2024.
According to the Department of Health, 165 fewer people died of drug overdoses in 2024 than in 2023. Julie Ray with ROSS Recovery Center believes that the decline in numbers is largely because of Narcan and fentanyl test strips, and over the past few years, these life-saving measures have become more accessible.
鈥淭his medication 鈥� it does save lives 鈥� and of course, the statistics show that it does,鈥� Ray said.
Like Ray, Kyle Berman battled addiction as well. He鈥檚 lost 22 people to a drug overdose, one of those people being his younger sister. He was even close to losing his oldest sister because of an overdose just a month ago. He鈥檚 happy to see the numbers decline, but he feels that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 time to 鈥渓et off the gas.鈥�
鈥�80,000 deaths,鈥� Berman said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot. It鈥檚 not 110,000. That鈥檚 80,000, and that鈥檚 not a number. 80,000 people. 80,000 families were affected. A lot of those people were mothers, fathers, children, brothers, and each person that is related or close to them is affected.鈥�
Ray estimates that since last year, Ross Recovery has given out more than 2,000 Narcan kits and 3,000 fentanyl test strips.
Berman told 米兰体育 13 he鈥檚 working on a Narcan community responder network. It involves an app that will alert users who are willing to respond to a drug overdose if one happens. He hopes this will help cut down on response times. He鈥檚 also developing a wearable overdose detection device and alert system. He hopes to partner with Garmin to make the app compatible with the company鈥檚 devices.
