PORT ANGELES – Clallam County’s Prosecutor says there has been a marked increase in the number of drug overdoses.

Mark Nichols also serves as the county coroner. He says after several years of decline in overdoses, the numbers are going up. Three years ago, the county had just 2 overdose deaths. By last year, the number was up to 14. So far this year, there have been at least eight overdose deaths.  He says part of the problem may be that opioid-reversal drugs, such as Narcan, are less effective against more potent fentanyl. He says we’re seeing more fentanyl on the streets in Clallam County.

“It’s so powerful, so we’re starting to track it more closely. But it’s so powerful that I don’t believe Narcan is effective. So if somebody’s having a heroin overdose and Narcan is administered, I believe that that administration can again convert an otherwise fatal overdose to non-fatal. But if somebody consumes drugs that have a high enough quantity of fentanyl in them, there’s little that we can do.”

Nichols says stress from the pandemic may also start to show in more drug overdoses or suicides. He says he’s particularly concerned heading into the spring and summer months. Nichols says, contrary to popular belief, suicides go up as the weather warms and days get longer. He’s especially concerned after a year of heavy financial and mental health impacts brought on by pandemic shutdowns.

“With the disruption that occurred to people’s lives as a direct result of the pandemic in 2020, we are now entering that that more concerning period in 2021 as we’re starting to come out of the pandemic. And I suppose we’re going to learn whether or not we’re going to see an increase in suicide probably in 2021 based on the pandemic that occurred through the bulk of 2020.”