Seattle amd King County: Opioid OD on the Rise

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Across the country there is a major concern over the rising number of overdose deaths attributed to opioids, among which are those attributed to street drugs being mixed with lethal doses of fentanyl. Although overdose deaths in Seattle, King County, are on the rise, this is not a phenomenon specific to the Pacific Northwest.

The same issues are widespread on the East Coast as well, with record numbers in Ohio and throughout the Midwest. Now, millions of Americans are lobbying to have Narcan Nasal Spray made available to addicts and to EMTs who are the first to arrive at the scene when 911 is called by friends and family members. A quick look at the most recent statistics as reported on the MYNorthwest website shows what a problem accidental overdose is in the region.  Basic life support skills are now being learned by more residents than ever to help deal with the crisis.

A Few Revealing Statistics on Opioid OD in King County

At the time these statistics were revealed, the tally from 2016 wasn’t complete. Even so, there were 359 total deaths in the county attributed to overdosing as reported by the office of the King County Medical Examiner.

What is even more troubling is the fact that greater than 60% of those fatalities involved opioids. Some were synthetic products such as methadone or oxycodone while a great number were the derivatives of poppies which include morphine and heroin.

In all, there were 14 more deaths attributed to opioids in 2016 than in the previous year and there is every reason to believe that statistics for 2017 will show a significant jump as well. As of those telling 2016 statistics, there were seven straight years of increases in the number of deaths by overdosing of opioids.

Fentanyl Brought to the Public’s Attention in 2009

The report published in MYNorthwest went on to talk about some other hidden, and even more worrisome, statistics. According to King County’s medical examiner, at least 22 of those deaths were directly linked to fentanyl, also a synthetic opiate that first caught the public’s eye back in June of 2009 when Michael Jackson died of a drug overdose with high levels of fentanyl in his system found during an autopsy.

The same drug again made the news in 2016 at the accidental OD and resulting death of pop icon Prince. Deaths related to the use of fentanyl were up by five in 2016 from the previous year where 17 fentanyl-related deaths were reported. The key statistic here is that this number is almost triple the previous record of 8 deaths in 2010 and the statistics seem to be growing more alarming by the day.

Concerned Citizens Are Lobbying for Increased Availability of Narcan

Concerned citizens are lobbying to make Narcan Nasal Spray, 4 mg concentration, available to addicts as well as equipping EMT teams with this drug which has proven to be effective in counteracting opioid overdose. These same Narcan advocates are recommending that EMTs and first responders learn how and when to use this lifesaving nasal spray during their Basic Life Support courses preparing them for a career as an emergency medical professional.

These advocacy groups are seeking better rehab facilities for addicts as well as the inclusion of counteracting agents like Narcan to be made available in emergency situations. What good is an opioid counteracting medication if no one can gain access to it? At this point, the worst is feared and it is expected opioid related deaths will rise in 2017. Until those statistics are tallied and released, there is no way of knowing just how far the crisis has risen.