Fentanyl Treatment in Dayton, OH

Dayton has buried fewer people in each of the last few years - overdose deaths in Montgomery County fell about 39% in 2024. But fentanyl was still present in 69% of the deaths that did happen, often mixed with xylazine, and it turns up in pills, cocaine, and meth. If someone you love is using, the medication that treats fentanyl is close by: fourteen certified opioid treatment programs within a half-hour of downtown.

What fentanyl is doing in Montgomery County

The Montgomery County Community Overdose Action Team confirmed 175 overdose deaths in 2024, a 39% decrease from 293 in 2023 and less than a third of the county's worst year, 2017, when 566 people died. Even so, the drug picture has not gotten simpler:

• Fentanyl was found in 69% of deaths (120 of 175).
• Any opioid was present in 76%.
• Xylazine - a veterinary sedative that naloxone does not reverse - was in 47%.
• Fentanyl analogs were in 20%, and in December 2024 the crime lab saw the re-emergence of carfentanil in a handful of cases.

County emergency departments logged 1,049 overdose visits by 987 residents in 2024, a 25% drop from 1,402 in 2023 - but Montgomery County still ranked 4th of Ohio's 88 counties for the number of those visits. Statewide, the Ohio Department of Health reported fentanyl or fentanyl analogs in 69% of Ohio's 2,931 unintentional overdose deaths, with fentanyl-related deaths falling 42% from the year before.

Medication is what changes the odds

Because fentanyl is an opioid, it responds to medication. The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists three FDA-approved choices, each paired with counseling:

• Methadone - a full opioid agonist that quiets withdrawal and cravings, dispensed through a certified opioid treatment program.
• Buprenorphine - a partial agonist that eases withdrawal and cravings and can be prescribed from a doctor's office.
• Naltrexone - blocks opioid receptors so opioids stop producing a high; it can only be started after opioids have cleared the body.

People on methadone or buprenorphine are less likely to die or to overdose than people who go without treatment - the medication is the difference between a bad week and a funeral.

Within 30 miles of Dayton (ZIP 45402), the SAMHSA locator currently lists:

• 14 federally certified opioid treatment programs
• 46 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine
• 42 offering outpatient methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone
• 51 treatment facilities total

The Montgomery County ADAMHS Board (409 E. Monument Avenue, Suite 102, Dayton, OH 45402; (937) 443-0416) funds the county's behavioral health network - 16 providers, nine of which offer medication-assisted treatment. The statewide Ohio CareLine is 1-800-720-9616. Counts change as programs open and close, so confirm current options before you go.

Naloxone, xylazine, and test strips

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose, including fentanyl, and it cannot hurt someone who is not overdosing. It does not reverse xylazine, so a person sedated by "tranq" may still need emergency care after naloxone. Ohio distributes free naloxone through Naloxone.Ohio.gov and community partners, and Montgomery County agencies handed out 6,728 naloxone kits in 2024.

If someone is unresponsive, breathing slowly or not at all, or has pinpoint pupils, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. Ohio's Good Samaritan law protects people who call for help.

Paying for fentanyl treatment in Dayton

Ohio expanded Medicaid in 2014, and Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary medications for opioid use disorder through participating providers. Ask specifically about opioid treatment program methadone, office-based buprenorphine, and prior authorization. In Dayton the median household income is about $45,247 and roughly 27% of residents live below the poverty line, so if you are uninsured, ask the ADAMHS Board about sliding-fee and publicly funded pathways.

How to start today

1. If someone is overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone. For a crisis, call or text 988.
2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to speak with a treatment specialist, or use this form:

Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.

3. Search findtreatment.gov from ZIP 45402 and filter for opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine.
4. Ask any program whether same-week medication starts are available, and whether they help with naloxone.

Montgomery County has cut its overdose deaths by more than a third in a single year - proof that treatment reaches people here. Fentanyl use disorder is treatable, and the medication is already in Dayton. The first call is usually the hardest part.

Frequently asked questions