YakTriNews.com
July 22, 2021 1:21 PM
BELLEVUE, Wash. We’ve heard a lot about how fatal overdose numbers spiked during 2020, but new data shows so far this year, Washington state is on track to have even more deaths.
The state health department says it’s an alarming epidemic that’s largely driven by fentanyl. Officials say the drug is so dangerous, they’re taking a more unconventional approach to combating the issue.
“We’ve had almost 420 overdose deaths of which almost 50% have been due to fentanyl,” says Dr. Bob Lutz with the Washington State Department of Health. 420 overdose deaths in the first three months of the year is 40 more deaths than we had during that period in 2020.
Deadly overdoses on track to hit record high in Washington q13fox.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from q13fox.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Overdose deaths linked to fentanyl are reaching record-breaking levels in Washington state. Author: Christine Pae (KING 5) Published: 9:53 PM PDT July 20, 2021 Updated: 7:55 AM PDT July 21, 2021
BELLEVUE, Wash. Washington state health officials are noticing an alarming increase in overdose cases related to fentanyl in recent months compared to this time last year.
Health officials said in a news release Tuesday that cases are reaching record-breaking levels and are now urging people to carry naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, if they plan on taking illicit drugs.
There were 418 overdose deaths in the first three months of 2021, compared to 378 during the same time last year, according to preliminary data from the Washington Department of Health (DOH). Of the 2021 overdose deaths, 46% were linked to fentanyl, with the highest rises seen among Native and Alaska Native, Latinx and Black communities.
Fatal drug overdoses surged in Washington last year By David Gutman, The Seattle Times
Published: May 12, 2021, 8:46am
Share: Colleen Gregoire of Bellevue talks to teens about the dangers of drugs after losing her son, Bobby, to an overdose last fall. The 20-year-old bought what he thought was Percocet and died after taking a pill that contained fentanyl. There were more fatal drug overdoses in Washington in 2020 than in any year in at least the past decade. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times/TNS)
SEATTLE More Washington residents died of drug overdoses in 2020 than any other year in at least the last decade, as people, struggling with the social isolation and loss of routine stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic turned to substances more often, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Health.