SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane County is facing an increase in drug overdose deaths in 2024, with 84 percent of these deaths linked to opioids.
A man known to his friends as Judge is one of the Spokane County residents struggling with opioid addiction.
“We do them because we’re all in pain or hiding from something, y’know what I mean?” he said.
Judge spoke about the harsh reality of losing friends to overdoses.
“Everyday. Freaking four-five people a day, maybe more,” he said.
Despite his struggles with addiction, Judge is hesitant to seek help due to gaps in the treatment system.
“If you are in withdrawal, those treatment centers aren’t allowed to keep you there if your withdrawal is intense enough to need medical intervention,” Mary Malone with Spokane Regional Health District said. “So, then you need medically supervised stabilization bed, and I believe there’s only 14 of those in our county.”
The Spokane Regional Health District attributes the rise in opioid overdose deaths to the increased presence of fentanyl. This drug is not only cheap and deadly but also causes severe withdrawal symptoms.
“It feels like you’re dying so people will do anything to get out of that and they can’t function,” Malone said.
The Spokane Regional Health District emphasized that while public drug use is visible, only 13 percent of opioid overdose deaths involve people without a home. They encourage everyone to carry Narcan, regardless of their perceived need.
Judge’s story is not unique. Like many others, he was prescribed an opiate for pain relief, but when the prescription ended, so did the relief. Now, he faces a grim outlook.
“You’re gonna die,” Judge said. You’re gonna die, y’know?”
