As Pacific Northwest fentanyl crisis surges, officials grapple with how to curb it

SEATTLE — The fight against fentanyl is increasingly being waged in schools, jails and on city streets in the Pacific Northwest, where state officials in Oregon and Washington have named it a top issue as overdose deaths rise.

Washington’s Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee plans to ask lawmakers for about $64 million more to treat and prevent opioid use. In Oregon, Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has proposed declaring a fentanyl emergency in Portland, and lawmakers have created a committee on addiction to get a jump on the issue before the Legislature reconvenes in February.

“One pill can now take your life. Fentanyl is the nuclear weapon of drugs and we’ve got to up our game against this scourge,” Inslee said during a press conference on Wednesday.

A surge in fentanyl deaths, including among children, has marked the latest iteration of the years-long opioid crisis. The most recent provisional figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 78,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in the 12 months ending June 2023, accounting for 92% of all opioid overdose deaths during that period.

One way Oregon and Washington want to reduce fatalities is by more widely distributing opioid overdose reversal medications such as naloxone. Naloxone is most commonly administered as a nasal spray or an injection and helps restore breathing.

Inslee’s office said part of his proposed supplemental budget would go toward equipping first responders with naloxone, and setting up 20 “smart” machines that dispense naloxone and other health supplies in areas of the state with high rates of opioid overdoses.

Oregon’s state health department said it plans to offer free opioid overdose reversal kits to middle and high schools. A bill that has been filed ahead of Washington’s short legislative session, which starts in January, would require all school districts to make such medication available in its high schools. Current law only requires districts with at least 2,000 students to do so.

Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Washington have been especially affected, dying from opioid overdoses at four times the state average, according to the proposed budget. Inslee wants some funds to go to a campaign to spread awareness in tribes about opioids, including how to find treatment and use naloxone.

Another key goal is expanding access to treatment, including in jails. The majority of inmates meet the criteria for drug…