The number of drug-related deaths in Butler County continued to rise in 2015, igniting efforts to have more overdose prevention training.

The county coroner's office reported 47 drug-related deaths this past year — a 42 percent increase from 2014.

The coroner reported 30 of the deaths were attributed to heroin, 9 were from fentanyl — a strong prescription painkiller — and 8 were caused by multiple other drugs.

Linda Franiewski, executive director of the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Center, said there is no one reason why the number of deaths increased, but said combining drugs greatly increases the risk of an overdose.

“It's a combination of things,” she said. “Many cases it's fentanyl-laced heroin or using other drugs with heroin.”

Fentanyl-laced heroin contributed to some of the about 30 non-fatal overdoses in Cambria and Washington counties this past week.

Franiewski said the drug naloxone was used to revive many of those who survived the recent overdoses.

“Without it, I wonder how many of those lives would have been lost,” she said.

Naloxone, commonly known by its brand name Narcan, reverses the effects of opioids — drugs that include legal painkillers such as oxycodone and illegal narcotics such as heroin.

A 2014 state law made naloxone available through prescription and for use by emergency first responders, including firefighters and police officers.

“That has been vital,” Franiewski said. “Often times they are the first ones on the scene. But it's equally important that family members have access to the kits.”

The naloxone kits are easy to administer. They come in the form of nasal spray or as a needle injection. Some of the kits include automatic voiced instructions on how to administer the drug.

Most insurance plans cover the cost of the drug. There also is no adverse side effects to it, other than it sends an overdose patient into withdrawal.

A number of agencies and community groups are working to bring awareness to the drug problem and offering training on how to recognize an overdose and how to use naloxone.

However, Franiewski said one of the struggles is changing the public's perception of addiction and the so-called antidote.

“It's an illness and needs to be treated as such,” she said.

Charlene Eckert, a lead organizer with the Hope for Broken Hearts addiction support group, said the drug problem — specifically heroin — is an epidemic in Western Pennsylvania.

“It's everywhere,” she said, and it should not be ignored.

“These are lives worth saving,” she said. “A life is a life.”

Hope for Broken Hearts meets weekly at Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church. The meetings are to help families of those battling addiction.

“No one can understand what you're going through unless they're walking in your shoes,” she said.

The group organizes awareness walks and training programs along with agencies like the Center for Community Resources and the Gaiser Center.

“We try to get the word out,” Eckert said. “We try to get people to come out and support one another.”

The support group has been organizing an annual May awareness walk in downtown Butler since 2014, and it also had a candlelight walk this past fall.

Franiewski said the exposure is a good way to educate people on addiction.

“There has been a movement, particularly in the past six months,” she said. “People are realizing what we are doing with addiction is not working and that it's time to do something different.”

Training is one of the crucial steps, Franiewski said. She added everyone should be aware on how to administer naloxone.

“People need to be educated on what to do,” she said. “An overdose can happen in any store or any parking lot at any time.”

In addition to the walks, the agencies have been hosting training seminars to educate people on how to use the drug naloxone to treat an overdose.

Two training seminars were at Butler County Community College in September and November. Dozens of people attended the seminars that featured speakers such as Detective Tim Fennell with the county's Drug Task Force and Alice Bell with Prevention Point Pittsburgh.

A new training program — a breakfast — will be Friday at the Atrium in Franklin Township.

“We wanted to do something different,” said Marsha Wagner with CCR. “The breakfast will feature a 10- minute training video for naloxone.”

Franiewski said naloxone kits and prescriptions will be provided to those who attend.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Peffer will speak at the breakfast on the importance of the naloxone kits.

Wagner said there is a strong interest in the training programs. The breakfast had to be moved from a diner in Butler to the Atrium due to the expected higher number of people attending.

The free breakfast is open to anyone, including family members of at-risk people, professionals and emergency first responders.

The Butler County Drug and Alcohol Program also is hosting two training programs next month — one in Cranberry Township and one in Butler.

Franiewski said saving a life gives the person an opportunity to change.

“It might be a turning point,” she said. “If they don't change that day, it plants a seed. They can change and get back to the person they used to be.”

While the drug problem remains in the county, Franiewski said she hopes that things will begin to get better with the new laws in place.

“I'm cautiously optimistic,” she said.