OPINION: Decline in OD deaths proves collaboration works

This editorial was published in The Seattle Times.

———

The number of drug overdoses nationwide dropped this year for the first time in 10 years, and the same is true in Washington and King County.

There are many reasons for the decline, experts say, but one overarching reason could be that public entities have listened to those most affected by the crisis and acted.

That’s unusual in this era of political polarization. But when it comes to preventing deaths, politicians and other stakeholders have made welcome progress.

Among the progress this year was the Legislature’s approval of House Bill 1956, which created a statewide drug overdose prevention and education campaign through the Department of Health. State lawmakers also made overdose reversal medications and fentanyl testing more widely available. The city of Seattle also made reversal medications available for its first responders.

In addition, the Legislature carved out money from a settlement with sellers and producers of opioids to go to tribes for treatment and prevention.

In King County, deaths from overdose rose from 344 in 2015 to 1,370 in 2023, according to Public Health — Seattle & King County. The numbers are now trending downward. As of Tuesday, 954 people have died from overdoses in the county this year.

In Washington, the annual number of opioid drug overdose deaths nearly doubled, from 827 deaths in 2019 to 1,619 in 2021. Between 2022 and 2023, Washington had the largest increase in overdose deaths of any state at 40%.

But starting this year, the numbers have dropped. Nationally, 111,029 deaths were reported in 2022, and 107,543 last year, a drop of 3.1%.

Some experts, including Caleb Banta-Green, a University of Washington drug epidemiologist, has suggested the decline in overdose deaths may be because the population of people using substances has shrunk, because of the high rate of fatal overdoses. Others credit better health care and widespread use of the overdose reversal drug naloxone, which public officials have begun funding nationwide.

To get those numbers even lower will take continued attention and funding.

At the state level, Attorney General Bob Ferguson successfully sued opioid makers and sellers. Those efforts over the years have netted the state more than $1 billion that has helped local communities fund addiction and prevention programs.

On the federal level, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., conducted 10 listening tours over the last two years that brought together people who have been personally affected by opioid abuse or other drug addiction with policymakers and medical and mental health professionals.

As a result, millions of dollars in grants have come from the federal government, including from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program. That program has recently provided funds for opioid overdose training for law enforcement and mobile crisis responders.

Though the numbers look promising, now is not the time to claim victory. Now is the time for public officials to keep listening, collaborating and acting.

TNS