FLORENCE, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky Health Department (NKY Health) created a dashboard that tracks suspected overdose cases in the region, with all the information available to the public on its website. 

What You Need To Know

  • A new dashboard shows real-time overdose data for the four counties NKY Health serves: Kenton, Campbell, Boone and Grant

  • It shows suspected overdoses, emergency response and the use of naloxone, all sorted by date and county

  • It’s available to the public to view at any time

  • The data will help mobilize prevention efforts, along with treatment strategies

A recovering addict, Gerald Long is the Northern Kentucky liaison for Addiction Recovery Care (ARC). He said he thinks this could help save lives. 

Long has been sober since 2017. 

"I’ve overdosed numerous times, from Falmouth to Dry Ridge,” Long said. “My life was just in shambles because of it. I didn’t have a place to live; I couldn’t be a father."

"I couldn’t be a good friend; I couldn’t hold a job.”

Now, Long works with people who are trying to become sober like he did, knowing the effect he had on society when he was using drugs.

“We affected the whole system," he said. "Everywhere from the jails ... we’re overworking these EMTs out here that are already understaffed. They’re having to work twice as hard because people like me, they have to keep reviving us. And thank God they do." 

The dashboard tracks data in real-time for the four counties NKY Health serves: Kenton, Campbell, Boone and Grant. 

“I think it’s huge that we know these numbers," Long said. "Nobody really wants to look at it. It’s depressing; it’s heartbreaking. But I do think we need to see these accurate numbers in order to  offer some sort of a solution so the community can see this is a human problem."

The overdose dashboard shows suspected overdoses, emergency response and the use of naloxone, all sorted by date and county.

“Folks can have a real picture of what’s going on in their communities,” said Jennifer Mooney, district director of NKY Health. “It hits home for people. They can see it as part of their community; they live in it.”

The data will help mobilize prevention efforts, along with treatment strategies, Mooney said. It will also help identify trends.

Long agreed it can be a great help to organizations like ARC.

“We can really home in on those areas that are more deeply affected by the overdose rates,” he said. “Those numbers are huge; I was one of those numbers. I’ve been blessed to make it to the other side of that because of the use of Narcan."

"I used to get high. God saved me. And now, I get to share that hope with other people that have done the same thing.”

The dashboard uses a platform known as ODMAP (Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program), which provides near real-time suspected overdose surveillance data. More than 3,000 agencies in 49 states participate in ODMAP. Kentucky data is being provided via the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS).

The dashboard was made possible thanks to a grant from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. 

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