Opioid Use: Onondaga County Data Report

Data are a critical tool for understanding how opioid use is impacting our local community.  The Onondaga County Health Department actively utilizes public health surveillance techniques to monitor indicators related to opioid use within Onondaga County.

This report pulls together data from multiple sources to provide a broad picture of the impact of opioid use on our community. The indicators presented below were selected because they show the scale and scope of the crisis Onondaga County is currently facing. Whenever relevant, comparisons are made to New York State (NYS) excluding New York City (NYC), Central New York counties, and other counties in NYS.

Opioid-Related Deaths

Like many communities, Onondaga County has experienced an increase in opioid related deaths since 2012. The graphs below provide a summary of opioid related deaths by year, drug type, and geography. Over time, the proportion of cases involving fentanyl (either alone or in combination with heroin) has increased.

 

 

Overdose Tracking
The OCHD is in the process of refining the data sources and procedures around overdose tracking. 

Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations
Emergency department visits and hospitalization rates help to show the extent of the opioid crisis in Onondaga County. The graphs below show the current rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations per 100,000 population.  In addition, the graphs provide a comparison to rates for New York State excluding New York City.

Newborns with Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome
Drug use impacts many families in our community, including some of our youngest residents.  The graphs below provide a summary of newborns impacted by neonatal withdrawal symptoms and/or affected by maternal use of drugs of addiction.  Comparisons are provided for New York State regions and Central New York counties.


Naloxone Use

Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can be administered to reverse an opioid overdose.  The graph below provides a breakdown of the Naloxone use by emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, and registered COOP programs in Onondaga County by year.

Opioid Use Treatment
The graph below provides a breakdown over time of the number of admissions to Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) certified substance use disorder treatment programs for heroin and other opioids.