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Many overdoses in Snohomish County occur among people using more than one drug, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, data show.
A recent publication highlights polysubstance use and describes the associated increased risk for overdose, death, and other negative health outcomes.
Drug testing helps people make safer and more informed decisions about drug use, and drug strips are one type of drug testing that people can do on their own time and where they are comfortable in doing so. Resources for test strips in Snohomish County and online are listed.
Data from the University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute describes fatal drug poisonings by drug pairs in Washington State residents in 2022 and 2023 and found deaths from methamphetamine combined with other synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, made up the highest percentage of fatal drug poisonings (about 36%) of drugs listed. Drug testing (a legal practice in Washington State) can help identify different substances in a drug sample and can influence drug initiation and use.
 Drug testing is one legal way to address risk. Click on the image above to access the data brief.
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A social media campaign in Snohomish County has been encouraging discussions about the prevalence of fentanyl.
The campaign was coordinated by the Behavioral Health division of the County’s Human Services department. “The Fentanyl Effect” campaign raised awareness among its target audience of youth and young adults aged 13-34, delivering over 3.9 million impressions across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Pandora. Its flagship videos achieved impressive engagement, with over 1 million completions, accounting for 95% of total exploratory engagements. Ads optimized for interaction generated more than 99,000 post engagements and nearly 8,000 website clicks, both surpassing industry benchmarks.
While the campaign sparked valuable community conversations, feedback revealed a mix of support and criticism, underscoring the ongoing need for education. Key metrics, such as a cost per engagement of $0.02 and a cost per website click of $0.67, demonstrated its efficiency and impact. This initiative provides a strong foundation and a benchmark for future efforts to address the fentanyl crisis while emphasizing the importance of continued public education.
View "The Fentanyl Effect" campaign's posts on Facebook and Instagram.
 Click the image above to view a video from the campaign on YouTube.
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The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is piloting a program to provide medication locking bags and lockboxes to partner organizations who can distribute them in their communities. The goal is to encourage safe storage and to help people overcome barriers (financial or otherwise) to locking up their medications.
Organizations that may request the locking supplies include treatment and recovery centers, therapeutic courts, prevention coalitions, and other providers or prescribers. They must be able to distribute the locking devices and information directly to community members, track the number distributed, and complete an end-of-program survey to provide feedback.
As of earlier this week, the supply of locking devices was out of stock, but the program still was accepting requests via an online form.
“Due to an overwhelmingly positive response to this program, the medication locking boxes and bags are currently out of stock,” according to a message on the form. “Please place your order and we will inform you when we are able to fulfill your order.”
 Click the image above to request access to safe storage kits.
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South County Fire and partners distributed more than 70 Narcan Leave-Behind Kits at the Mariner Park and Ride in South Everett in a November outreach effort. Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
In addition to the Narcan kits, attendees were given cold-weather supplies, coffee, snacks and also had the opportunity to connect with treatment options and recovery services.
The event was a collaboration by the Snohomish County Health Department, Snohomish County Human Services, and the South County Firefighters Foundation.
 Click the image above to reach a Facebook photo gallery from the Narcan distribution event.
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The Snohomish County Health Department has launched a campaign meant to decrease stigma around substance use disorder and increase public knowledge of how to take the next step toward recovery, whether it is for yourself, a loved one, or your community.
The campaign was developed to provide non-judgmental, strength-based messaging around opioids, overdose, and mental health for a variety of communities in Snohomish County. The Health Department contracted with marketing firm Quinn Thomas, and representatives from Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI), Everett Recovery Café, Sound Pathways, and the Community Equity Advisory Board participated in campaign development to bring community voices.
Social media graphics in English and Spanish are available for download and use at no cost for opioid awareness messaging. More materials are expected to be added to the online toolkit in the future, and the Health Department plans to continue the campaign as funding allows.
More info: https://snohomishoverdoseprevention.com/small-steps-campaign.
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The Snohomish County Human Services department, in collaboration with community partners, is gearing up for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The Point-in-Time Homeless Count is an annual count of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. This includes those in emergency shelters, transitional housing, as well as individuals living unsheltered on the streets or in places not intended for habitation. This annual initiative remains a cornerstone in Snohomish County's commitment to understanding and addressing homelessness within the community.
The collected data plays a pivotal role in securing federal and state funding to combat homelessness. The data aids in understanding the scope of homelessness in Snohomish County and identifying demographics of those most affected. The Point-in-Time Count serves as a valuable tool for prioritizing state and national funding and planning local programs and systems.
How to get Involved: Interested community members are encouraged to participate in this important initiative. More information on the PIT history and methodology is available on the Human Services Point-in-Time Count webpage: https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/2857/Point-In-Time.
 Click the image above to access Point-In-Time results from 2007 through 2024.
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