Data shows deaths, emergency department visits, and emergency response calls from opioid overdoses declining in Pierce County.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, along with Pierce County, City of Tacoma and Elevate Health, continue to adjust the coordinated response to the county’s opioid crisis.
This month, we will begin to wind down the Opioid Task Force (OTF) and shift to a sustained behavioral health response housed in existing programs. Our Public Health Clinic and Behavioral and Emotional Health program will build on OTF’s work as we continue to tackle opioid addiction and help people struggling with Opioid Use Disorder.
We still have work to do, as the opioid crisis continues to cause disproportionate, significant harm to certain groups, including our unhoused residents. But the decision to shift to a new phase in the fight comes as data shows an improvement in recent years. Deaths, emergency department visits, and emergency response calls from opioid overdoses have all declined substantially.
“The Opioid Task Force helped Pierce County lay the groundwork for fighting the opioid crisis,” said Jani Hitchen, Pierce County OTF sponsor and Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health Chair. “Bringing relief to those struggling is our top priority, and we’ll build on the recent successes we’ve seen. Pierce County agencies will continue to partner to lead a unified, county-wide approach to tackling substance misuse.”
We launched OTF in 2018 to bring awareness to the epidemic, streamline the work of multiple agencies, and help make decisions on how to spend money from the Opioid Settlement Fund. Pierce County began receiving funds from settlements in 2022 and will continue to do so until 2034.
Every death from an opioid overdose is a preventable tragedy. Pierce County saw 63 drug related deaths in the last quarter of 2025, the lowest total since the first quarter of 2020. Other measures of the crisis have also improved since 2023:
- Emergency department visits related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dropped 43%.
- Emergency responders averaged about 64 fewer calls per month for opioid overdoses in 2025.
You can find more data on drug use and overdose on our website.
The Health Department will continue to prioritize our opioid use treatment clinic, and focus on prevention efforts with collecting data, especially trends on overdoses and fatalities. Working with community partners to end the opioid crisis remains a top priority.
“The county has made strides in eliminating opioid overdoses and getting people the help they need,” said Chantell Harmon Reed, Director of Public Health for Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. “We’re building on the amazing work of the Opioid Task Force. Opioid addiction awareness and care are part of our everyday work.”
The Health Department’s Strategic Plan aims for a 50% drop in opioid overdoses in the county from 2025 to 2029. The Department also works to reduce stigma around overdoses, raise awareness, and remove barriers for opioid addiction treatment.
Pierce County continues to use opioid settlement funds to prioritize workforce development, medical services, residential facilities, and more, including extended detox services, increasing stays from 5-10 days, and supporting 24/7 access to naloxone and overdose kits. Over the past two years, the Health Department, City of Tacoma, and Pierce County collaborated to help distribute more than 900 opioid awareness tool kits, including naloxone.
The County also continues to improve coordination and communication among behavioral healthcare providers, funders, policymakers, and stakeholders. On Sept. 18, 2026, Pierce County is hosting its first annual Suicide Prevention Summit, bringing together service providers, community members, and people with lived experience for a day of learning, resource sharing, and remembrance of those who have died by suicide.
About Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all people and places in Pierce County. As part of our mission, the Health Department tackles known and emerging health risks through policy, programs, and treatment to protect public health. Learn more at tpchd.org.