King County Council declares fentanyl a public health crisis amid spike in deadly overdoses

SEATTLE — Fentanyl overdose deaths are rising so quickly in King County that the county council declared fentanyl to be a public health crisis on Tuesday.

King County is on track to set a new record, with more than 260 people dying from fentanyl overdoses so far this year — a more than 46% increase compared to this time last year.

Last year, the number of people who died from fentanyl overdoses in the county more than doubled, according to the King County Medical Examiner Office’s Fatal Overdose Dashboard.

The motion also directs Public Health — Seattle & King County to find strategies to increase its efforts to reduce fentanyl-related deaths.

The Drug Enforcement Administration describes fentanyl as a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Because it is often added to heroin or disguised to look like prescription pain relievers, many users have no idea they are taking the high-potency drug that can be fatal in very small doses.

Laura Lynch said she lost her daughter Brillion to a fentanyl overdose. Brillion was only 18 when she took half of a fentanyl-laced pill that killed her.

“I am so thankful this legislation has passed, and it makes me more optimistic about the future,” Lynch said. “There have been way too many innocent lives lost and I’m relieved this is starting to get the attention it deserves.”

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