Characterizing an Epidemic: The Drugs, People, and Places Associated with Overdoses in One County

• In Event: Theory Based Victimology

Abstract

Pennsylvania has been hard-hit by the nationwide overdose epidemic, and this paper considers the experience of Montgomery County, its third most populous. Driven by opioids, drug-related deaths in Montgomery County have increased nearly 650% in the last fifteen years, from 39 in 2002 to roughly 253 in 2016 (numbers not yet final). From 2002-2006, opioids were found in the blood in 38.2% of deaths, with the proportion rising to 45.6% in 2007-2011, and 60.2% in 2012-2016. Extending Zinberg’s conception of “Drug, Set, and Setting” (1984) and using records from first responders, hospitals, and the coroner’s office, here we consider the drugs, people, and places associated with overdoses in one county since 2000, characterizing the evolution over time. The talk will conclude with a discussion of the methodological and policy implications of using coroner’s data in criminological research, including its utility for informing upstream practices and prevention efforts.

Authors

• Oren M Gur, Penn State Abington

• Annie Dinh, Pennsylvania State University, Abington

• Nusrat Jahan, Pennsylvania State University, Abington

• Melaney C. Santana, Penn State University, Abington

• Alexander J. Balacki, Montgomery County Coroner's Office