Last year, Washington recorded the state’s largest decline in drug overdose deaths in almost a decade, preliminary federal data shows.
Nearly 3,200 Washingtonians died from overdoses in 2024, according to early data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week. That’s almost a 12% drop from the prior year, which saw about 3,600 overdose deaths. While experts say they expect these numbers to fluctuate over time, similar trends have emerged in nearly every other state across the country — an encouraging sign after years of staggering totals for fatal fentanyl use.
Overdose deaths in Washington dropped from about 3,597 in 2023 to about 3,167 last year, according to preliminary federal data…