MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Facing Fentanyl: Hear the voices of people hurting

May 9, 2023, 9:50 AM | Updated: May 14, 2024, 11:54 am

Heather Bosch’s “Facing Fentanyl” series won a 2024 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award in the Region 1 Radio | Large Market category. The series previously won a Gracie Award as the best “Hard News Feature” by any local radio station in America.

Overdose deaths in Washington state are on track to surpass last year’s death toll. In King County alone, there have been more than 463 deaths so far in 2023, most of which are due to the synthetic drug fentanyl.

KIRO Newsradio is airing a five-part series, “Facing Fentanyl,” to explore where this drug is coming from, why it’s so lethal, as well as the damage it is doing to the people of western Washington.

Listen to Part One of “Facing Fentanyl” here:

More from the Facing Fentanyl series

Part 2, Facing Fentanyl: Addiction in pregnancy ‘ruins multiple lives’

Part 3, Facing Fentanyl: How a synthetic opioid became the deadliest drug in America

Part 4, Facing Fentanyl: Addicts find their way out

Follow Heather Bosch on Twitter or email her here.

MyNorthwest News

King County deputy...

Chris Sullivan

‘I almost got run over’: King County deputy’s close call is a reminder to slow down and move over

A King County deputy nearly lost his life on SR 167 when a car ripped past his patrol SUV, and 36% of drivers admit they wouldn't have moved over.

22 minutes ago

longview plant...

Julia Dallas

35 violations found at Longview plant following tank rupture that killed 11 workers

Three months after a tank rupture killed 11 workers at a Longview plant, Ecology has found 35 environmental violations at the facility.

12 hours ago

polar bear...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Point Defiance Zoo’s polar bear is leaving Tacoma

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s 5-year-old polar bear, Laerke, is moving.

12 hours ago

Bite of Seattle (4)...

Tyrah Majors, KIRO 7 News

One month after Bite of Seattle shooting, King County expands mobile crisis response efforts

One month after a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle, investigators are still working to identify a possible third shooter connected to the gunfire.

13 hours ago

Kirkland stolen property...

Jason Sutich

Kirkland police recover more than $30K in stolen property across King County

More than $30,000 in stolen property connected to burglaries and vehicle prowls was recently recovered across several King County cities.

14 hours ago

speed cameras vandalized...

James Lynch

Vandals target Bellevue’s new speed cameras

Just weeks after new speed cameras went up, the Bellevue Police Department said vandals have already started targeting them.

15 hours ago

Facing Fentanyl: Hear the voices of people hurting