KINGSTON, N.Y. - Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced today on International Overdose Awareness Day that Ulster County has declared a Public Health Emergency due to the recent spikes in deaths caused by fentanyl. From the period January through July, opioid-related deaths increased 171% in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. For that same time period (January through July), fentanyl-related deaths increased from 58% of all opioid-related deaths in 2018 to 89% of all opioid-related deaths in 2020.