BENTON HARBOR, Mich - The Berrien County Health Department is presenting an award to Law Enforcement across Berrien County today.

The “Friend of Public Health” award is being given to Law Enforcement across Berrien County for successfully lowering the number of deaths due to overdoses.

“We are proud to have the most amount of law enforcement using this lifesaving overdose treatment. In 2017 it was used in Berrien County fifty-three times out of a total of ninety-three uses region wide for southwest Michigan” said Berrien County Health Department Communications Director Gillian Conrad.

The number of overdose deaths dropped from thirty four in 2016 to twenty three in 2017.

The award is being presented at the Berrien County Health Department in Benton Harbor.