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. Opioid-involved drug overdose death rates have dropped overall in Washington state since 2023. However, opioid-involved drug overdose death rates have grown in Spokane and Eastern Washington since 2023.
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.
