After the awareness walk along Main Street in Butler on Sunday, Aug. 31, participants gathered in Diamond Park for a plaque dedication ceremony honoring the 44 lives lost to overdose in 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo

Overdose deaths in Butler County have decreased in 2025, according to Butler County’s drug and alcohol advisory board and the coroner.

The board reported 20 confirmed overdose deaths in 2025 as of its Tuesday meeting, with five pending cases. Last year at the same time, the board reported 35 overdose deaths and six pending cases.

Coroner William Young III reported 44 drug-related deaths in 2024 in his coroner report and said 2025 is trending lower.

Forty-four balloons were placed in the first two rows of Grace Community Wellness Center in memory of those who lost their lives to overdose in Butler County during the 4th annual Butler County Remembers ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 31. Hosted by the Butler County Opioid Overdose Coalition, the event honored lives lost, supported grieving families and raised awareness on International Overdose Awareness Day. Butler Eagle File Photo

Chief detective Tim Fennell said his personnel conducted multiple joint investigations in 2024 alongside Pennsylvania State Police, the Office of the Attorney General and Drug Enforcement Administration that may have contributed to the decrease.

The drug and alcohol advisory board touted its successful treatment and prevention programs. It said the Strengthening Families Program, which began Oct. 22, included four families with 17 individuals participating, which is the largest number enrolled since the program started in January 2024.

The program encourages connection between teenagers and parents through discussion, games and activities.

In other business at the recent drug and alcohol advisory board meeting, Butler County Drug and Alcohol director Donna Jenereski said all drug- and alcohol-related items in the budgets were flat-funded with no decrease.

The board is also looking forward to receiving money from Pennsylvania now that the state and federal budgets have been passed.

“I try to tell people every entity attached to the state submitted invoices. They’re sitting in a queue, (and) there’s a lot the state needs to do and go through,” Jenereski said.

She said the county was able to continue paying providers through the budget impasse, but she knows of several counties that halted all payments July 1 and laid off staff.

“I’m very grateful we didn’t have to look to do anything like that,” Jenereski said.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Jan. 20 after the December meeting was canceled.