Overdose Deaths in Yakima Valley Surge to 100, with Many Victims Aged 20 to 60

On this 18 day of November Yakima County continues to see fatal overdoses killing people of all ages in the Yakima valley.

THE NUMBERS ARE GROWING

Back in the month of March the number of overdose deaths was 25. Today the number stands at 100 overdose deaths, many of the deaths connected to the deadly drug fentanyl.

A NEW RECORD?

Yakima County Coroner Marshal Slight says a record-breaking 146 overdose deaths in 2024 broke the record of 96 overdose deaths in 2023. He says there's a possibility a new record could be set in 2025.

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IT'S NOT JUST YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DYING

Slight says while many people may think those who die of overdoses are young people that's not the case. He says it's not uncommon to see people between 20 and 50 to 60-years-old become victims of an overdose. He says many are older people who have been hooked on drugs for years.

A NEW DRUG ON THE STREETS OF YAKIMA

Slight attributes much of this increase to fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that has become a leading cause of overdose deaths in the area. But there's new drug on the streets of Yakima called carfentanil, an opioid that authorities say is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than the drug morphine.

A CLOSED BORDER

Slight believes fentanyl was being trafficked in significant quantities when the southern border was open during the Biden administration. He's hoping less of the deadly drug ends up on the streets of Yakima in the near future.
The Trump administration says it's hoping to save thousands of lives with the closure of the southern border and the work its doing with China to stop the import of chemicals used to make the drug.