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Medical Lake proclaims 36-day 'Gabriel's Challenge' as sheriff warns of rising fentanyl, meth deaths
Summary
Mayor Terry Cooper proclaimed a 36-day Gabriel's Challenge for Medical Lake; Sheriff Justin Lundgren gave data showing a sharp rise in overdoses and naloxone use and urged a multi-pronged response.
Mayor Terry Cooper proclaimed a 36-day community awareness campaign called the Gabriel's Challenge for Medical Lake and encouraged residents to “show up” to support people struggling with addiction.
Spokane County Sheriff Justin Lundgren told the council the local overdose crisis has grown sharply in recent years: "Between 2022 and 2024, we've seen drug related calls at the sheriff's office quadruple," he said, adding that naloxone use has increased fivefold and fentanyl-related deaths nearly doubled in that span.
The proclamation, read by Mayor Terry Cooper, cites a renewed federal public health emergency and local statistics tracked by the Spokane Regional Opiate Task Force. Cooper declared the period "between Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, through Father's Day, Sunday, June…
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