In the News

It’s a chilling snapshot. A week’s worth of data that is both frightening and illuminating.

Working with hospital emergency rooms, fire and police departments, ambulance services, a needle exchange program and other sources, the Snohomish Health District collected reports on the number of heroin- and other opioid-related overdoses in the county from July 17 to 23.

During that week, 37 overdoses were reported. In three cases, the overdoses resulted in deaths, two people in their 50s, one in his or her 30s. The actual number of overdoses could be higher, as not all might have been reported.

Even for public health officials with daily experience in the crisis, the numbers were a surprise.