Drug-related deaths continue to rise in King County
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/drug-related-deaths-continue-to-rise-in-king-county/
Drug-related deaths have continued to climb in King County, with fatal overdoses involving methamphetamine and fentanyl on the rise, according to Public Health — Seattle & King County.
Last year, 415 King County residents died from drug or alcohol use — up from 379 in 2017, according to a report released Tuesday by Public Health. Of those who died, 20% to 25% had been drinking alcohol but mostly in combination with other drugs.
Public Health found that 77 percent of people who died had multiple substances in their system. Fatal overdoses from prescription opioids and heroin have remained stable in recent years, while fentanyl-related deaths doubled since 2017, climbing to 66 last year. Illicit opioids were involved in the most deaths overall, but methamphetamine became the most common drug associated with overdose deaths for the first time, as The Seattle Times reported last month.
Filed under: General Problems
Our local media and politicians are still sensationalizing opioids, as Meth is becoming even more prevalent. Of course Meth is responsible for more arrests due to the behavior is causes. Our policy makers are still spreading misinformation and lies, as people die or become infected with aids or Hep C. It is really clear that attacking, and criminalizing pain patients, pharmacists and physicians has made this problem even worse. This is what happens when a public health issue, becomes an opportunity to profit. It has been 20 years, and things are getting even worse. Facts are irrelevant in market based healthcare!
Are we in a methamphetamine crisis then? I am sad people are dying from illegal drugs, but pain patients need their meds. This nonsense needs to stop. To demonize a medication and stigmatize a huge group of people, because they take a type of medication is beyond ignorant. It also terrorizes and tortures that group of people.
At the J&J trial the State’s Prosecution was bold enough to read long lists of persons having overdose deaths. I didn’t hear one that wasn’t “multi-drug toxicity” or one proving it was a J&J product that was responsible – and they want J&J to hand over billions and pay for ALL of Oklahoma’s illicit drug user ‘treatments’ which will include ‘mental health’ and likely tons of Suboxone, plus grief counseling expenses for ALL of the bereaved.