Fentanyl, meth account for half of about 1,000 drug-related deaths in King County in 2022

KING COUNTY, Wash. - New data released by Public Health-Seattle & King County on Thursday suggests the region's opioid addiction is getting worse. 

In 2015, there were more than 330 drug-related deaths in King County. In 2022, officials said there were more than 1,000 drug-related deaths. Officials said out of last year’s total deaths, half of them were from synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Fentanyl is one of the most dire public health crises in King County. Officials said the price of the laced opioid pills plays a significant role in the crisis.

"When they first came into our community in 2015 or 2016, they were very expensive and hard to get -- $40-$50 a pill. Now, they’re pretty ubiquitous and run about $1-$2 a pill, according to reports that I saw last week," said Brad Finegood, a strategic advisor in the health department’s overdose prevention unit.

Finegood said the impacts of fentanyl continue to disproportionately rise among people of color.

"The rate of overdose of American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are approximately nine times that currently of white population in our community. Also, Black or African American individuals are overdosing at approximately three times that of a white population," said Finegood.

Advisors said at least two people per day die from a fentanyl overdose in King County. Finegood explained Seattle is seeing the highest increase in deaths in the region, followed by south King County. This includes the city of Kent.

"We have seen a pretty significant increase in public drug use," said Kent Mayor Dana Ralph. "We’re also seeing an increase in crime. The addiction and the need to pay for that addiction go hand in hand." 

In March, Senate lawmakers approved Senate Bill 5536, an effort to make known drug possession a misdemeanor in Washington. However, House lawmakers made adjustments to that version of the bill. Twenty-six mayors from across the state, including Ralph, signed a letter explaining their fear the House version of the bill would reduce accountability for public drug use.

"If the House version of this bill passes, it will tie the hands of cities and it will make it nearly impossible for us to enforce this law. I honestly would rather see nothing happen and then the ability for cities to regulate on their own," said Ralph.

Kent was the first city in Washington to enact its own drug possession laws. As King County proves fentanyl overdoses are rapidly increasing, Ralph said cities need collaboration from the state to address the drug use issues.  

"The number of emails I’m getting from parents who are like, ‘If my kid not had that intervention, that public safety intervention, they probably wouldn’t be alive.’ That’s what I want to resonate with our legislators," said Ralph.

The health department has vending machines in Kent and Seattle that offer free overdose prevention tools. More information about the resource is available on the department’s website.