Butler County victims of the ongoing opioid crisis will be remembered Wednesday, Aug. 31, in downtown Butler in a ceremony by the Butler County Opioid Overdose Coalition.

The coalition will have a National Overdose Awareness Day event from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Grace Community Wellness Center of Glade Run Lutheran Services in the former Grace @ Calvary Church at 123 E. Diamond St. across from Diamond Park.

The coalition is made up of first responders, police and sheriff’s deputies, drug and alcohol treatment providers and representatives from Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University, said Lisa Gill, prevention specialist with Butler County Human Services Drug and Alcohol programs.

“We’re a group of professionals collaborating to eliminate overdoses in the county,” Gill said. “We started in 2016 and meet once a month.”

Opioid overdoses are continuing to cut a swath through all ages and demographic groups in the county, she added. As of Aug. 24, Gill said there had been 32 overdose deaths in the county with seven possible cases still pending.

In comparison, at this time last year there had been 36 confirmed overdose deaths with 19 cases still pending.

The coalition figures show there have been 581 overdose deaths in Butler County since 2011; 68.2% were male, 31.8% female. Ninety-eight percent of decedents were white and 2 % were black.

Victims’ ages broke down as follows: 18 to 24 years – 7%; 25 to 34 years – 31%; 35 to 44 years - 29%; 45 to 54 years – 20%, and 55 years and older – 12%.

The highest number of overdose deaths recorded was 92 in 2017.

Fentanyl accounted for most of the deaths, followed by heroin and cocaine.

Fentanyl is particularly lethal to people who relapse, Gill said.

“People in recovery who go back to using, they use the same amount they were using when they stopped. It can be deadly because the body cannot tolerate it anymore,” she said.

Fentanyl is becoming more prevalent because it’s cheaper, synthetic, and can be mixed with other drugs.

During the event Wednesday, two mothers who lost their daughters to overdoses will be speaking, with an open mic available for others in attendance to speak afterwards.

A bell will be rung for those who lost their lives in 2021. The coalition will have an awareness walk on Main Street, as well as a ceremony to dedicate a newly planted tree by the Bureau of Forestry and Butler City Shade Tree Commission on the grounds of the wellness center.

Gill said businesses along Main Street will display large light-up purple ribbons to mark those who lost their lives to drug overdoses.

Beth Ehrenfried-Neveux, chairman of the coalition and drug and alcohol program supervisor for the county, said the event “is meant to shine some light and raise awareness of the overdoses caused by opioids in Butler County and provide support and a safe place to the families who have lost someone to overdoses.”

Ken Clowes, Community Initiatives Center assistant at Butler County Community College, said BC3 was part of the coalition because it is dedicated to improving the lives of the community through education.

Gill said the coalition will be staging its second annual Recovery Picnic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Butler Memorial Park as a way to encourage and support people in recovery and give them a positive, alcohol- and drug-free activity.

Last year, almost 200 people turned out for speakers, lunch, games, yoga, face painting and a celebration walk.

Here are the members of the Opioid Overdose Coalition:

Founding Members:

· Criminal Justice Advisory Board

· Pitt PERU (Program Evaluation & Research Unit)

· Butler County Drug and Alcohol Programs (BCDA)

· Coroner’s Office

· Sheriff’s Department

· Butler County Ambulance Services

· District Attorney’s Office

· Butler Memorial Hospital

· Keystone Wellness Programs (KWP)

· Adult and Juvenile Probation

· Cranberry Police Department

· Butler County Prison

· SPHS The Care Center

· Butler County Veterans Affairs

Members who joined later:

· Cranberry Township Emergency Medical Services

· Butler County Community College

· Slippery Rock University

· Butler County Children & Youth Services

· Center for Community Resources

· Butler Area School District

· Pennsylvania Department of Health

· Resolutions Recovery Center