Trump designates illicit fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on December 15 designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction, framing the synthetic opioid as a national security threat akin to a chemical weapon. “Today, I’m taking one more step to protect Americans from the scourge of deadly fentanyl flooding […]
WA State secures $105.6M share from $7B Purdue Pharma opioid settlement
NEW YORK—United States bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane, of the Southern District of New York, ruled on Friday, November 14, to approve a settlement with OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler Family, to pay thousands of victims up to $7 billion over 15 years for fueling the opioid crisis. Washington state is expected to […]
DCYF reveals three-fold increase in opioid-related child death and near-death numbers for 1Q-2025
[The Center Square-WA]—The Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) has reported a significant rise in child fatalities and near-fatal incidents linked to opioid exposure in the first quarter of 2025. With 54% of child deaths under state supervision attributed to opioids, particularly fentanyl, officials are grappling with how to address this escalating […]
WSNIA awards Larsen 2024 Congressional Member of the Year Award
MARYSVILLE—The Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association (WSNIA) presented its 2024 Congressional Member of the Year Award on Friday, January 17, to Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) for supporting the efforts of Washington’s 16 multi-jurisdictional drug task forces (MJTFs) in combating the opioid and fentanyl crisis. This marks the first time WSNIA has given an award to […]
Harm reduction, recovery, and reform take center stage in Snohomish County
EVERETT—Though drug addiction affects millions from all walks of life, the recovery process can feel like an isolated, silent struggle for many individuals. At the 8th Annual Snohomish County Overdose Awareness Day, the goal was to shine a light on state resources, community organizations, and other helping hands that can ease the process of recovery […]
County and local cities receive $61 million from opioid settlement
OLYMPIA—Snohomish County and local cities are set to receive approximately $61,189,456.22 from efforts led by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office that will be used to fight the opioid epidemic statewide, his office states. The dollars come from settlements resulting from lawsuits against major pharmaceutical companies Attorney General Ferguson claimed were fueling the distribution of opioids, […]
Opioids remain deadliest drug in the United States
Zinnia Health has identified the drugs that are the biggest threat to the American population, with opioids being responsible for over 644,000 fatalities since 1999 and Psychostimulants holding the largest increase in overdose death rate at 5,848%. By analyzing overdose data from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), they discovered the total fatalities caused […]
Larsen releases report to combat opioid epidemic in NW Washington
WASHINGTON D.C.—Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released a district opioid report on January 25 analyzing the opioid epidemic in Northwest Washington while presenting several federal policy recommendations he believes could address the issues facing local communities. “It is time to regain the momentum to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives,” said Larsen. “Congress and the […]
More than $60 million coming to Washington in the next three months to combat fentanyl epidemic
SEATTLE, Wash., September 9, 2023—Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Wednesday, September 7, that more than $60 million to combat the fentanyl epidemic will soon be coming to Washington counties and cities. These resources are a result of Ferguson’s investigation into Walmart for its role fueling the opioid epidemic as a pharmacy. All eligible local […]
Fentanyl awareness event on May 23 at Mukilteo City Hall
Mukilteo, Wash., May 2, 2023 — Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine is pleased to announce that the City of Mukilteo will be hosting a Fentanyl Awareness Event on Tuesday, May 23rd, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Mukilteo City Hall. In Snohomish County and across the United States, opioid overdose deaths are rising year over year. In 2022, […]
