Bergen County, New Jersey — Overdoses from heroin and prescription opioid medications and derivatives are the leading cause of accidental death in New Jersey, and generally described as an epidemic nationwide.
In Bergen County, law enforcement employs a multi-faceted criminal enforcement, treatment and education strategy to push back against the trend—including good Samaritan laws that enable people to call for help without fear of prosecution.
The county prosecutor’s office shares overdose info on Twitter under the hashtag “#StopTheODs.” Here are the recent updates:
• Dumont Police revived a 35-year-old male on Feb. 22 using Narcan, the 39th overdose reversal in Bergen County this year.
• Lodi Police deployed Narcan on Feb. 25, saving a 31-year-old male, the 40th overdose reversal in the county this year.
• Paramus Police used Narcan to save a 34-year-old woman from overdosing on Feb. 28, the 41st save this year in the county.
• On March 2, Fair Lawn Police revived a 32-year-old man, and Paramus Police revived a 28-year-old man. These were the 42nd and 43rd overdose saves year to date in Bergen.
• On March 1, a 28-year-old woman from Lyndhurst died of a suspected overdose. A 27-year-old man died of a suspected overdose in Hackensack on March 2. Also on March 2, Garfield Police reported a 55-year-old man died of a suspected overdose. This year, 13 people have died in Bergen County from suspected overdoses.
• On March 3, Hackensack Police revived a 28-year-old female overdose victim. On March 4, Hackensack Police revived a 62-year-old man and Paramus Police revived a 42-year-old female, both suspect of overdosing. As of these incidents, 46 people have been revived so far this year.