Fentanyl spike leads to record overdose deaths in King County

The number of overdose deaths in King County so far this year has officially set a new record, making 2023 the deadliest year for drug and alcohol fatalities.

There were 1,001 overdose deaths recorded in the county in 2022. As of Thursday, the county’s dashboard shows a total of 1,010 people have died from overdose so far this year.

The number of people fatally overdosing has risen dramatically in recent years, almost doubling since 2020.

The spike has largely been driven by the rise in fentanyl — a potent, synthetic opioid that's widely available and very cheap.

According to Brad Finegood, strategic advisor on behavioral health for Public Health – Seattle & King County, roughly 80% of overdose deaths this year are fentanyl-related.

That’s compared to about 70% last year, and 50% in 2021, Finegood said.

The county’s dashboard shows that more than 800 of the deaths that have occurred in 2023 so far have involved fentanyl. In 2015, the county saw only three such deaths.

As in past years, the American Indian/Alaskan Native and Black populations in the county are disproportionately impacted by overdose deaths in 2023.

A disproportionate number of deaths are also occurring among people who are experiencing homelessness.

The majority of deaths have been recorded in Seattle.

Officials in King County, and across the state, are struggling to address the crisis. However, more funding has been earmarked for harm reduction, treatment, and other strategies to help curb the number of overdose deaths, and several new initiatives have been launched in the past year.

One key focus is lowering barriers to treatment, medications, and supplies like Narcan, an overdose reversal drug.