SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane County is grappling with a significant public health crisis as the illegal drug use problem intensifies. County officials have raised concerns over the escalating situation.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner shared an update with county commissioners, focusing on overdose deaths. This year, Spokane has seen a decrease in overdose deaths in the first quarter of 2025, though the numbers remain higher than those in Seattle.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that opioid overdose deaths have surged by 300% between 2018 and 2024 in Spokane County. Additionally, dispatch calls for drug-related incidents have quadrupled over the past three years.
In other parts of Washington, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office has reported 18 overdose deaths in the county so far this year. This translates to an average of 1.3 deaths every two weeks.
The community continues to confront the growing challenge of drug use and its impact on public health.
