Current deadly fentanyl overdose statistics surpass 2022 levels in King County

The year 2023 is trending to be the deadliest year yet when it comes to fentanyl overdoses. King County just passed its 2022 death toll and there are still three months to go in the year. 

Each day, the King County Medical Examiner's Office releases a list of victims who died from fentanyl or a fentanyl-drug mix. On Tuesday, four people reportedly died from an overdose. In 2023 in King County, more than 782 deaths have already been reported, compared to 714 deaths in 2022. 

The CDC reports that more than 111,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in a 12-month period that ended in April of this year. More than 77,000 of those deaths involved fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

Families Against Fentanyl, an organization created to bring awareness to the opioid crisis, reported the largest state increases in fentanyl deaths in the last year were in Oregon with a 67% increase and in Washington with a 65% increase. 

"It’s hard to kind of capture just how badly our drug overdoses are currently at this point," said Derek Sanders, the Thurston County Sheriff. 

In 2022, drug overdose was the number one cause of death for those ages 18 to 35 in Thurston County. 

"People had the heroin-- that was the drug for a long time. Fentanyl comes along, it’s a lot more potent," said Sanders. 

Last week, three children under the age of 12 overdosed on fentanyl in Pierce County alone. A 2-year-old girl died after ingesting multiple suspected fentanyl pills and her father was arrested for manslaughter.  

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Snohomish County, tribal law enforcement issue warning of rainbow pastel fentanyl-laced pills

Officials with the Tulalip Police Department say they found a new kind of fentanyl that is scaring them due to its similarities to candy.

The Tulalip Police Department also reported last week that rainbow fentanyl pills were circulating in Snohomish County. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday, Mexican drug cartels were driving the crisis. 

"These cartels operate without respect for human life, human rights or the rule of law," Merrick said.

Sanders says that fentanyl is also getting stronger, sometimes making it hard to revive victims.  

"It’s so powerful, and they are just dying. We are getting to the point where Narcan isn’t as effective to bring them back," said Sanders.  

Now that law enforcement can once again arrest people using drugs openly, Sanders hopes that for some, it will save their lives because there are addiction treatment services at the jail.