Overdose deaths drop in Washington state
Washington state may have begun to reverse its yearslong trend of rising drug overdose deaths, preliminary CDC data suggests.
The big picture: It's a notable shift from last April, when CDC data showed that fatal overdoses in Washington had increased in the previous 12 months, even as they declined nationwide.
By the numbers: An estimated 3,167 people died from opioid overdoses in Washington in 2024, compared to 3,597 in 2023, per provisional CDC data.
That's about a 12% drop.
Overdose deaths in King County also appeared to decline, from 1,340 deaths in 2023 to 1,042 in 2024 — a 22% decrease, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Caveat: The CDC data isn't final, and could change in the coming months as more death investigations are completed and the causes reported.
What they're saying:"It's too early to say that we're seeing a sustained decrease," Washington state health officer Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett said in an emailed statement to Axios.
"I certainly hope we are, but I think we have to continue being vigilant."
Between the lines: Increased access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone could be contributing to the apparent decline in overdose deaths, John Doyle, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health, wrote in an email to Axios.
Narcan, the best-known version of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023.
It is standard issue for first responders and available in other public places, Axios' Rebecca Falconer reports.
Other factors may include increased access to medications that treat opioid use disorder, such as methadone and buprenorphine, Doyle wrote.
Yes, but: Another potential reason is more grim: that many of the most at-risk people have already died, shrinking "the community of people susceptible to overdose," Doyle wrote.
Others who use drugs may have developed a greater tolerance to opioids, he said, along with a better understanding of how to more safely use fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that has driven some of the spikes in overdoses in recent years.
Changes to the illicit drug supply could also be at play — for instance, "the potency of fentanyl could be declining," Doyle wrote.
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