Overdose deaths drop in Washington state
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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.
What we're watching: Whether the trend holds over time as more data comes in.
