Montgomery County overdose deaths on pace to set new record — by June

Montgomery County likely will surpass 2016’s record-setting year for accidental overdose deaths by the end of June and with half the year remaining.

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The stark prediction came from Ken Betz, director of the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

Last year, there were 349 unintentional overdose deaths in the county, most of which involved heroin and fentynal. As of May 16, there have already been about 300 deaths.

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The county is on pace to end the year with 700 to 800 fatal overdoses, Betz said.

“We’ve never, as a community, experienced this volume of accidental overdoses,” he said.

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