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Spokane County medical examiner reports continued rise in fentanyl deaths, spike in mid‑age overdose fatalities
Summary
The county medical examiner told commissioners that fentanyl‑involved deaths continued rising in 2024 and into 2025, with increases in mixed‑drug overdoses, suicide among older adults and traffic fatalities; the full annual report will be posted online.
Dr. Singh, Spokane County’s medical examiner, briefed commissioners May 13 on the office’s 2024 annual report, saying fentanyl‑related deaths continued to rise and that multiple‑drug overdoses remain common.
“Fentanyl‑related deaths did continue upward in 2024,” Dr. Singh told the board, and the office is tracking additional pending deaths in 2025. He said the majority of overdose fatalities involve more than one drug, with methamphetamine and cocaine commonly detected alongside fentanyl, and alcohol present in many mixed‑drug deaths.
Key findings from the briefing: • Overdoses: The office reported a year‑over‑year rise in accidental drug deaths (about a 12% increase from 2023 to 2024 and roughly 29% from 2022 to 2024), driven largely by overdoses. • Fentanyl: The trend remained upward into 2025; as of the briefing Dr. Singh said there were roughly 18 pending deaths that could increase the 2025 total. • Age groups: While some age brackets showed signs of flattening, the 30–50 age group experienced a sharp increase in fatal overdoses. • Suicide and veterans: The office saw about a 10% increase in suicides in 2024 versus 2023 and noted that older adults (60+) accounted for part of the rise; Dr. Singh said military veterans remain overrepresented among suicides but his office’s data does not capture veteran status for every decedent without additional verification. • Overdose setting and housing status: More overdose deaths occurred among housed people in raw counts, but the number and share of fatal overdoses among people experiencing homelessness has steadily increased; Dr. Singh cautioned that explanations (more unhoused people vs. higher risk) require more data. • Environmental exposure and drownings: In 2024 the office recorded 35 exposure‑related deaths (21 cold, 14 heat) and eight recreational drownings (seven in rivers), with many exposure deaths occurring in people in homes lacking climate control. • Traffic fatalities: The office reported 75 traffic deaths in 2024, a notable rise in driver fatalities (about a 67% increase for drivers); toxicology showed a high proportion of drivers tested positive for alcohol or illicit drugs, and 64% of vehicle occupants in fatal crashes were unbelted.
Dr. Singh said the full annual report would be posted to the medical examiner’s website by the following morning and offered to provide statewide comparisons on request. Commissioners asked for follow‑up breakdowns by home address to clarify resident status and for a veteran‑status analysis to support targeted prevention efforts.
Ending: The medical examiner’s office will post the complete report online and provide additional breakdowns at commissioners’ requests; the briefing reinforced county leaders’ focus on substance use, suicide prevention, traffic safety and exposure‑related deaths.
