King County released its overdose dashboard Tuesday, showing an even sharper increase in the trend of deaths by fentanyl overdose, as compared to previous years.
In 2022, fentanyl was responsible for the deaths of 708 people, an average of 1.94 a day.
As of March 14, fentanyl has already killed 167 people in King County, an average of 2.29 a day.
Total drug and alcohol deaths, which include opioids and other drugs, are also outpacing 2022.
In 2022, there were 1,008 deaths in King County related to drug and alcohol poisoning, an average of 2.76 a day.
As of March 14, 276 people have lost their lives to drug and alcohol poisoning, an average of 3.78 a day.
By comparison, in 2012 alone there were a total of 274 deaths related to drug and alcohol poisoning in King County. 2023 has already hit that mark, with eight and a half months to go.
“What you’re seeing is a result of deep holes in our social safety net and an ongoing national opioid epidemic,” a spokesperson with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority said. “These harms are preventable, and elevate the need for partnership across housing and health care systems, which is why KCRHA and Public Health are working together on overdose prevention.”
The complete report can be found on the King County Public Health website.
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