Washington rolls out new data dashboard on fatal drug overdoses

SEATTLE — To track overdose trends, the Washington State Department of Health released a new public dashboard Thursday, sharing details about unintentional drug overdoses throughout the state.

As lethal overdoses continue to climb in Washington, the Unintentional Drug Overdose Data dashboard will track overdose deaths and share circumstances of each fatal overdose, such as which drugs were involved and how they were manufactured. Thirteen counties accounting for about 88 percent of total overdose deaths statewide supply data for the dashboard, including King, Pierce and Spokane.

“Our new Unintentional Drug Overdose Data dashboard is an innovative tool that empowers our communities with data to understand, address, and combat the public health crisis caused by substance use disorders in Washington state,” Chief Science Officer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett said in a news release.

Data on the site dates as far back as 2019, will be updated each March and September, and can be sorted by drug type: methamphetamine, illicit fentanyl, opioids and stimulants, for example.

The figures reference 2022 data and can be broken down by county, date, race, industry, veteran status, gender, sexuality and the circumstances of the overdose.

“To stem the tide of deaths from opioid overdose, we need to raise awareness, increase access to treatment, and get naloxone to people who use drugs,” Kwan-Gett said. “Together, through transparency, compassion, and collaboration, we can turn this data into action to build a safer, healthier future for all Washingtonians.”

With opioids leading overdoses statewide, the Department of Health also offers a database on opioid response, noting overdoses, hospitalizations and other data.