New data from the Washington Department of Health show that deaths from drug overdoses continue to increase for state residents.
Provisional data as of April 4 show drug-related overdose deaths surpassed 2,000 in 2021, a more than 66 percent increase compared to 2019. Overdose deaths are increasing across all groups, and more than half of these deaths are due to fentanyl.
Fentanyl overdose deaths have increased about 10-fold since 2016. Most deaths involved more than one substance, notably psychostimulants like methamphetamine. A majority of people dying from overdose tend to be male and 45 years old or younger, and the increase in overdose deaths is fastest growing among Black, Latinx, and Native American/Alaska Native people.
People should consider carrying at least two doses of naloxone to help prevent deaths from opioid overdose. Naloxone is available at many community organizations and pharmacies in Washington. To access naloxone at a pharmacy, call ahead to make sure they have it in stock and show a standing order to the pharmacist, which is a prescription for everyone in the state to use.
There’s a link to that standing order here. Click here to find naloxone near you. (WA Dept of Health)
