Bucks drug overdose fatalities fell slightly in 2022

The number of drug overdose fatalities investigated by the Bucks County Coroner’s Office decreased slightly from 178 in 2021 to 173 in 2022, the office said Tuesday.

As in previous years, most decedents were male (70.5%) and white (82.7%). The age range was 18 to 69, with an average age of 43. Approximately one-third of the drug deaths were in those ages 35 to 44.

Toxicological testing continued to confirm the synthetic opioid fentanyl as the most common drug in fatal overdoses. Fentanyl was found alone or in combination with other drugs in a total of 137 (79.2%) cases. The next most common drugs were methamphetamine (27.7%), xylazine (25.4%), and cocaine (17.9%).

More than 75% of drug deaths involved a combination of drugs rather than a single substance. Four persons died due to acute alcohol intoxication with no other substances involved.

Uncommon single-drug deaths in 2022 included one death attributed to mitragynine (also known as kratom) and two deaths attributed to bromazolam, an unapproved benzodiazepine new to this area.

Bucks County townships with more than 10 drug overdose deaths were Bristol (51), Bensalem (23), Falls (18), and Middletown (15).

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