MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Gov. Inslee lays out plan for Washington opioid crisis

Dec 17, 2018, 1:00 PM | Updated: 2:49 pm

Jay Inslee...

(AP)

(AP)

Governor Jay Inslee announced his policy and budget priorities related to Washington state’s opioid crisis on Monday afternoon.

RELATED: Gov. Inslee proposes $1.1 billion budget to aid orcas

Opioid deaths are currently the leading cause of accidental deaths in Washington. To that end, the governor’s proposed 2019-21 budget calls for $10.7 million for prevention, and an additional $19.3 million for treatment and recovery efforts.

Inslee laid out the state’s plan in a press conference Monday afternoon, with proposals for measures like a 16-bed facility for pregnant women and mothers so they can live with their children while receiving treatment, and a new “Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion” program outside of King County.

Additionally, Inslee’s budget would establish a statewide “hub-and spoke opioid treatment network,” that includes treatment programs, nurse care managers embedded with medical practices and jails, and facility hubs where staff can prescribe addiction treatment drugs.

This comes on the heels of recent data from the Washington State Department of Health, that reported deaths related to fentanyl overdoses were up nearly 70 percent over last year.

Fentanyl is currently found in counterfeit pills made to look like prescription opiates like oxycodone. The risk comes from the fact that fentanyl is anywhere from 30 to 50 times as strong as pure heroin, and “a dose the size of a few grains of salt can be fatal to an average-size person.”

The reasoning for dealers and illicit importers is simple: Profit.

“It’s much more efficient to ship in fentanyl than it is to ship in heroin. Fentanyl is 30 times more potent than heroin — that means to get the same number of people high, you only have to ship in one-thirtieth the amount,” Caleb Banta-Green, the principle research scientist at UW’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, told MyNorthwest when the report was released in early-December.

Inslee’s proposed state budget would be for $54.4 billion, for what would be approximately a 20 percent total increase. It also includes funding for the recovery of the state’s endangered orca population, combating climate change, shuffling Washington’s mental health system, and more.

RELATED: 70 percent increase in fentanyl deaths doesn’t tell whole story

MyNorthwest News

Everett boy missing...

Frank Sumrall

4-year-old Everett boy missing, police worried he’s in danger

Police and Search and Rescue crews are looking for a missing four-year-old boy they suspect could be in danger.

1 hour ago

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize jumps again after $1.1B Mega Millions win

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $935 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.

11 hours ago

Photo: The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center....

James Lynch

King County’s plan to close youth detention center met with fierce backlash

The King County Law and Justice Committee received a final report on Executive Dow Constantine's plan to close a youth detention center.

13 hours ago

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

14 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

15 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

15 hours ago

Gov. Inslee lays out plan for Washington opioid crisis