KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - A report issued today by Public Health - Seattle & King County indicates that heroin-related drug deaths declined in 1999 after reaching an all-time high in 1998. Heroin still continues to have the largest impact of all illicit drugs used in King County. Cocaine use is on the rise again after several years of decline, and methamphetamine and marijuana use remain stable. Click here to view the full report.

"The decrease in heroin-related deaths is certainly good news," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County. "However, far too many people are still dying from heroin overdose in King County. We can't be satisfied by these numbers."

Over 250 more clients were admitted to heroin treatment programs in 1999 than in 1998 in King County. The increase in treatment availability was due to additional funding from several sources, including a federal grant and a Public Health internal reallocation.

"In 1998 we saw that the heroin problem was very serious," said Norma Jaeger, King County Alcohol and Drug Coordinator in the county's Department of Community and Human Services. "We were able to increase treatment slots and this may have played a part in the recent decline in heroin overdose deaths. It's too early to say for certain, but this does indicate that heroin treatment may be a useful overdose prevention strategy."

"It is important to remember that we're not just talking about statistics," said Ron Jackson, Executive Director of Evergreen Treatment Services. "Behind these numbers are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, coworkers and good friends."

Other key findings from the 1999 Drug Trends report include:

• Indicators of cocaine use have shown a resurgence, after several years of decline, to the higher historical levels. Cocaine-related deaths increased in both 1998 and 1999; many of those deaths were also asscoiated with heroin. Cocaine is also the most commonly drug found in the urine samples of arrestees in KC jails.
• Methamphetamine use appears stable at a level well below heroin and cocaine in Seattle-King County but is on an upward trend in other areas of the state; 1999 saw an increase in methamphetamine-related deaths, most of which involved other drugs as well.
• Marijuana use appears to remain unchanged.
• The prevalence of HIV infection among injection drug users is 1-4% among heroin and cocaine injectors; HIV seroprevalence is 47% among gay and bisexual men who inject methamphetamine.

Current drug prevention and treatment efforts in King County include:

• Making treatment for heroin addicts more accessible through "Mobile Methadone" services (per a grant from the federal government).
• Bringing together international experts in heroin addiction at a January 2000 conference entitled "Preventing Heroin Overdose."
• Providing chemical dependency and opiate substitution treatment services for eligible clients via contract with community-based agencies.
• Increasing availability of drug-free housing to help support chemically dependent people who are in recovery maintain a drug-free lifestyle.
• Providing prevention and limited treatment services for drug involved offenders in the local criminal justice system.
• Providing needle exchange services for heroin users to help them avoid HIV and other infections, and to facilitate entry into drug treatment programs.
• Providing acupuncture services (per a grant from Washington State) to heroin addicts as a means of assisting drug-dependent people to manage drug cravings and gain entry to (or as an adjunct to) more comprehensive treatment services.
• Providing education and early intervention for children and youth to keep them from ever trying heroin or other drugs of abuse.
• Conducting research into communicable disease risk behaviors to monitor the problems associated with sharing needles and exchanging sex for drugs.