Nearly 200 people died of fentanyl overdoses this year in King County, but test strips are illegal in WA

The Spotlight: Surge in fentanyl deaths as agents make record-breaking seizures

Even as border patrol agents make record-breaking seizures of fentanyl, there has been a sure in overdose deaths this year as the synthetic opioid pills known as "Blues" continue to have a strong grip on communities locally.

So far this year, 198 people have died from a fentanyl overdose in King County Washington. That is up from 113 deaths by the same time last year.

SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, recently gave Washington $27.5 million for state opioid response funding to support and expand treatment services plus block grant funding for another $39 million.

The money can be used to fund local harm reduction efforts to save lives like fentanyl test strips if House Bill 1006 passes in the Washington State Legislature to legalize them. Right now, the strips are considered drug paraphernalia.

A recent change by Congress also allows those struggling with addiction to now get help from their primary care physician who can prescribe opioid use disorder medication like Buprenorphine.

"I have to remain hopeful that we will turn a corner on this and that rather than focusing on the deaths that have occurred as sad and as powerful as those are that we will begin to focus on the lives that have been saved," said David Dickinson, Regional Director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

If you or someone you know is in need of treatment, go to findtreatment.gov to locate a facility near you.

The Spotlight Opioid Epidemic King County