New report estimates 5,000-10,000 people have opioid use disorder in Snohomish County

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The Snohomish Health District report released Wednesday estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals in Snohomish County have an opioid use disorder. An additional 35,000 to 80,000 are estimated to be misusing opioids.

The data is the result of months of research by Snohomish Health District health officer Mark Beatty.

“We focused on opioid misuse and opioid use disorder because they are considered the two ends of the spectrum for diagnosable patterns that can lead to overdose and death,” Beatty said. “This data will aid the Health District and the Opioid Response Multi-agency Coordination Group with evidence-based decision making, assessment of interventions, and other planning purposes.”