Inslee to Take Executive Action to Fight Opioid Addiction

SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee is set to announce an executive order to fight the rising abuse of opioids in Washington state.

Inslee is scheduled to make the announcement Friday morning at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He'll be joined by dozens of medical providers, law enforcement officials, patients and family members.

The governor's office says the executive order will boost collaboration across the state to work on prevention, treatment and support efforts, as well as to improve the use of data in policy decisions.

The state is currently seeing a public health crisis in the abuse and overdose of opioids such as heroin and prescription narcotics.

About 600 people die every year in Washington state from opioid overdose, with increasing proportion involving heroin.