SEATTLE—The number of Washingtonians who died from drug overdoses jumped by 39 percent from 2019 to 2020, and preliminary data points to another increase in 2021, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
The grim upward trend is a national issue exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and stigma surrounding substance use that prevents people from seeking or receiving help, health experts say.
“One of the main reasons people die from an overdose is that they’re alone, and there’s no one there to respond to it,” Emalie Huriaux, a DOH programs manager, said ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day on Wednesday.
“Our top line message needs to focus on saving lives because overdose deaths are preventable.”
The state reported 1,259 drug overdose deaths in 2019, which jumped to 1,731 in 2020, according to DOH.
Preliminary data for 2021 points to a continual increase, indicating 2,264 people died from drug overdoses statewide.
King County overdose deaths also rose, from 401 in 2019 to 471 in 2020. 2021 brought 649 overdose deaths countywide, according to preliminary figures.
Statewide figures for 2022 aren’t yet available, but preliminary data shows there were 236 overdose deaths in King County between January and June.
The increase has largely been driven by synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, which are chemically similar to fentanyl, according to DOH spokesperson Emily Fredenberg.
Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids doubled statewide from 2019 to 2020 and increased by 50 percent in King County during that time, according to the agency’s data.
Deaths caused by psychostimulants across the state increased by 57 percent between 2020 and 2021, according to DOH data. In King County, such deaths increased by 62 percent.
There’s a lot more fentanyl and opioids in the street supply than there used to be, Huriaux said, and because fentanyl is very potent, the drug is likelier than others to cause overdoses.
The number of overdoses among women increased 28 percent between 2020 and 2021 while overdoses among men increased 32 percent in the same time frame, according to DOH data.
Though drug overdoses remain highest among white people, deaths have been increasing across all ethnic groups, most noticeably among American Indian and Alaskan Natives, Black people and Hispanics, according to DOH data.
The main misconception about substance use is that it’s a moral failing or something that should be stigmatized or shamed, Huriaux said.
People often think drug use is just a “lack of trying or fortitude” and say those struggling with addiction should simply seek help, Huriaux said. But stigma, social factors and accessibility can prevent people from looking or getting help.
Additional factors — like mental health problems and homelessness — make getting to the root causes of the “overdose crisis” extremely complex, Huriaux said.
“We need to look at how we can address stigma and treat people who use drugs with dignity and respect,” signaling support instead of shame, Huriaux said.
