York County coroner: Gun violence should be treated as a public … – York Dispatch
York County Coroner Pam Gay described the rise of gun violence as a public health epidemic, noting that suicide was the third-leading cause of deaths her office investigated last year.
The county recorded the most homicides ever in 2022, led by an uptick in gun violence in York City. But Gay said suicide deaths typically go under the radar — even though her office sees even more of them.
“I don’t think people realize how many episodes of gun violence are in our community every year,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “I think people think strictly homicides. They focus on the homicides. They don’t think about the suicides.”
Gay’s office recorded 28 homicides countywide last year, 21 of which were the result of a gunshot wound, according to the 2022 annual report released Tuesday. Over the same period, the county recorded 67 suicides, 34 of them due to a gunshot wound.
“We look at it as a public health issue,” Gay said. “People involved in departments of health look at it that way. That’s how we really need to look at it. Sometimes we need to take the politics out of stuff and really look at what it is.”
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When there is something that causes multiple deaths a year, Gay said she is always willing to talk about it.
“It’s time that we stop putting it in the back of our mind and address it,” she said.
The issue of gun violence will be the subject of a forum hosted in York City next week, partially in response to the rising violence in 2022. The city’s Group Violence Initiative is meant to prevent gun violence through educational services, job training and mental health interventions.
“I fear that we are a victim of this national trend where people are acting out violently,” York City Mayor Michael Helfrich said in a recent interview on the subject.
The York County Coroner’s Office, along with other coroners and medical examiners around the state, report violent deaths to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as the department helps counties in developing tools and strategies for prevention and harm reduction.
“We believe that it is only when we are transparent about violent deaths in PA that we can begin to affect some change for the better,” Gay said in her report.
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While gun violence gets most of the headlines, it wasn’t the leading cause of deaths investigated by the York County Coroner’s Office last year.
Trauma caused by falls was No. 1 leading cause of death seen by the office last year. There were 146 people in the county who died as a result of injuries received in falls.
“With the 146 fall-related deaths that occurred in York County, the majority of the injuries sustained are the large bone (leg and hip) fractures and some traumatic brain bleeds as well,” Gay noted in her report. “These injuries are often so severe, that an older person especially, has great difficulty recovering from them, or they develop complications from being less active and more dependent on others for their care.”
While it topped the coroner’s list, the number of deaths caused by falls fell by 9.3% from 2021, when 161 people died from fall-related trauma.
“So, we are seeing some progress for the first time in years. That is a good thing,” Gay wrote in her report. “This type of death is highly preventable, and a lot of good people have been working hard to reverse the trend.”
The coroner’s office has worked with Falls Free Coalition in York County to offer education on how to make homes and businesses safer for seniors by eliminating hazards that cause falls.
“The members of Falls Free York have as part of their mission that the public receive free fall prevention education and learn how to make their homes and businesses safer so that the senior members of our community can stay independent at home for as long as possible,” Gay noted in her report.
The second-leading cause of traumatic death in York County last year was accidental alcohol or drug overdose.
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The number of overdoses in York County has decreased the last two years. In 2021, it declined by 36%. In 2022, it declined by another 7.2%.
There were 129 accidental overdose deaths last year. There were also 10 that were probably caused by accidental overdose but not confirmed. There were also two others suspected accidental overdoses that are still pending toxicology confirmation. Of those accidental overdose deaths, 74 were because of a mixture of drugs.
It was also noted there was a 16% decrease in heroin/fentanyl overdoses and a 42% decline in methamphetamine overdoses since 2021.
Brittany Shutz, executive director at York Opioid Collaborative, said there have been numerous efforts made in York County to reduce the number of accidental overdose deaths.
“We believe all the collective efforts underway are helping to reduce overdose deaths, and we recognize the need to continue to evaluate and monitor so we can continue to reduce the number of fatal overdoses,” Shutz said.
One of the ways fatalities have decreased, Shutz said, has been the increase in naloxone distribution in the county.
“Through initiatives within the commonwealth and locally, we have significantly increased the distribution and availability of naloxone to our community,” she said. “It is vital to ensure that individuals at risk for an overdose and their loved ones has access to this life-saving drug. Naloxone does not replace treatment, but it is a tool to save an individual’s life from a fatal overdose and give them an opportunity to get help.”
Shutz also pointed out the increase in provision of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) has also led to a decrease in accidental overdoses.
“MAT is an evidence-based practice with proven outcomes that show it helps improve retention in treatment and decreases fatal overdoses,” she said.
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Warm handoff programs, where opioid overdose survivors transition from emergency medical care to specialty substance use disorder treatment, have also helped reduce the overdose numbers as well, Shutz said.
“They help link individuals that experience a nonfatal overdose to treatment and support,” Shutz said.
There were a total of 378 accidental deaths in York County last year, according to the report. Among them were 45 traffic related deaths, 13 by choking, 6 by blunt force trauma and four by drowning.
Editor’s note: This story has been changed to clarify that falls are the leading cause of deaths investigated by the York County Coroner’s Office.
