Heroin deaths in King County spike in 2014
Jun 18, 2015, 8:33 AM | Updated: 6:22 pm
More people are dying due to drug overdoses in King County, according to a report issued Thursday. (AP)
(AP)
More people are dying due to drug overdoses in King County.
Heroin in particular is a growing cause of drug deaths, according to a report published by the University of Washington’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute on Thursday. Heroin deaths rose 58 percent from 2013 to 2014.
“The increase in drug deaths in 2014, particularly heroin, is quite distressing,” said Caleb Banta-Green, a senior research scientist and the report’s lead author.
Drug abuse trends are up across all age groups, according to the report. During the past three years there have been more deaths that have involved heroin and methamphetamine.
Heroin deaths totaled 156 in 2014, an increase from 99 in 2013.
Prescription-type opiate deaths, however, have decreased. Opiate deaths peaked with 164 in 2009 and were down to 98 in 2014, according to the report.
Treatment admissions for heroin doubled from 2010 to 2014. Treatment was sought by 30 percent more meth users. Approximately 40 percent of patients admitted to treatment programs for heroin or prescription opiates were 18-29 years old.
Among the people who died of drug overdoses, about 20 percent had an antidepressant detected. About one-third who overdosed had “serious mental health issues,” according to the report.
The King County Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division increased its methadone treatment capacity by 400 slots in 2014. It will continue to expand this year.
Through Seattle’s downtown syringe exchange, 926 overdose kits have been distributed. There were 225 reports of the kits reversing overdoses, according to the study.
“The good news is that many opiate overdoses, heroin or pharmaceutical, can be reversed before a person dies,” said Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health-Seattle & King County.
