Salem’s medical professionals are witnessing a record number of opioid overdoses over the past two years, especially in people 25 to 34 years old.  Nancy Bee, director of clinical care at Salem Health, spoke Monday as part of a panel put on by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. She shared findings on the increase of local opioid overdoses and deaths, which she said is largely due to illicit fentanyl.  In 2023, fentanyl was involved in 75% of overdose deaths in most U.S. states, including Oregon, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  For 2024, Bee said, Salem Health expects to see a total of 502 emergency room visits for opioid overdoses. In 2023, Salem Health saw 484 visits for opioid overdoses in its emergency room, and 1,405 overdose visits overall. Both 2023 numbers are the highest the health provider has seen since at least 2015, Bee said.  In the last five years, unintentional opioid deaths in Oregon have increased from fewer than 300 in 2019 to over 1,400 in 2023, according to data from Oregon Health Authority. This year, Bee said, Oregon is projected to see one hundred more deaths due to unintentional opioid overdoses than in 2023. Though many assume overdoses only affect homeless people, Salem Health sees people from all walks of life, Bee said. It could be a high school football player bound for a Division 1 college or a mother with three children who wind up in the emergency room. “Illegal drug use shows no bias, it’s going to hit every demographic in our community,” Bee said at the start of her presentation.  In 2023, for the first time ever, Salem Health saw more overdoses in people 25 to 34 years old than people 15 to 24 years old. The same is true so far this year.  According to her presentation, more than a third of 2024’s overdose visits are projected to be from opioids, including fentanyl.  Bee was one of three professionals who spoke about the local and national impacts of fentanyl and drug trafficking.  In 2023, for the first time ever, Salem Health saw more overdoses in people 25 to 34 years old than people 15 to 24 years old. According to data from January to August of 2024, the same is true this year.  Bee suggested that people learn the signs of an overdose to be able to recognize it and help if they’re able to. Some signs of an overdose include a change in skin tone to gray or blue, unconsciousness and choking or gurgling sounds.  Bee also recommended that when they’re prescribed narcotics, people ask for naloxone, the overdose-reversal drug often known by its brand name, Narcan. Community Medical Services, an addiction treatment clinic on Northeast Church Street, offers free Narcan to anyone who walks in, regardless of whether they’re a patient.  Chris Gibson, executive director of the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Kelly Olson, director of clinical affairs at Millennium Health, also spoke at the event on Monday.  While Olson shared national findings, Gibson said his organization has worked with local agencies to seize fentanyl and methamphetamine in Marion County.  This year, Gibson said, his organization has seized fewer fentanyl pills compared to every year from 2020 to 2023. But his organization has seized more methamphetamine in Marion County compared to the previous four years. Salem Reporter’s coverage on the impacts of fentanyl in Salem: Salem man charged in death of inmate from fentanyl overdose Disconnect between parents and children in fentanyl education Man charged with selling fentanyl that killed 15-year-old Salem boy Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected]. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Fentanyl driving increase in overdose visits to Salem Health appeared first on Salem Reporter.