information from King County

In response to a shocking 24% spike in overdose-related deaths in King County in 2020, King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn is calling for an audit of available addiction services in King County.

The request was made this morning in a letter sent to County Executive Dow Constantine and Budget and Fiscal Management Committee Chair Jeanne Kohl-Welles HERE and calls for using funds from the most recent aid bill to cover the costs. In all, the county is expected to receive $440 million from the American Recovery Plan Act.

“This spike in fatal drug and alcohol overdoses in the last year and even further is tragic and very alarming,” Dunn said. “We cannot allow those who are suffering from addiction and substance abuse to keep slipping through the cracks. Lives depend on the steps King County takes to connect them with help and support.” 

Even as substance use rapidly increased over the last year, in large part due to the isolation and anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple treatment facilities have closed across the region.

Data recently released by the King County Medical Examiner showed not only an increase in of deaths in 2020, but an even larger increase – of 118% – over the last decade. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 40% of U.S. adults reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19, including increased substance use.

Dunn’s official request calls for an assessment of the current state of available addiction treatment services in the region, including a directory of available inpatient and outpatient services and the process for accessing those services.

With another round of COVID-19 response funding expected in the coming weeks, Dunn said funds for the assessment could be included in that proposal.