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.
Fatal drug overdoses surged in Washington last year, as COVID pandemic upended lives By David Gutman, The Seattle Times
Published: May 10, 2021, 9:30am
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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 pandemic turned to substances more often, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Health.
Fatal drug overdoses increased by more than 30% over 2019, according to the data, an increase more than twice as large as any other year in the past decade.
Deadly opioid overdoses from prescription painkillers, heroin, fentanyl and other similar substances increased even faster, by nearly 40%, according to the data, more than triple the rate of any other increase in the past decade.
Drug Overdose Deaths Surged as COVID Upended Lives
Deadly opioid overdoses from prescription painkillers, heroin, fentanyl and other similar substances increased by nearly 40%, according to the data, more than triple the rate of any other increase in the past decade.
May 10, 2021 •
Shutterstock May 10 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 pandemic turned to substances more often, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Health.
How $1 billion in pot taxes get spent in Washington
Money from legal cannabis sales amounts to about 2% of the state operating budget By Melissa Santos, Crosscut
Share: A poster for Main Street Marijuana is seen here on the dispensaryis wall in Vancouver on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2020. (Nathan Howard/The Columbian)
This year marks a milestone for the state’s legal pot industry. For the first time since voters approved recreational pot use nine years ago, the state of Washington is expected to collect more than $1 billion in marijuana sales taxes and fees over the course of its next two-year budget cycle.