A record 98 overdose deaths kept authorities busy in Yakima County in 2021. Last year the record wasn't broken but still 83 people lost their lives to drug overdoses in Yakima County. Coroner Jim Curtice says about half of the deaths are connected to the deadly drug fentanyl.

MORE PEOPLE FROM YAKIMA ARE BEING KILLED EVERY MONTH

Today the number of suspected overdose deaths stands at 7 up two from last month.
Curtice says he's hoping for no more deaths but he knows he'll be investigating a lot more suspected overdose deaths this year especially with a surge of fentanyl coming from the open southern US Mexico border.

CURTICE HAS A WARNING FOR EVERYONE

He says fentanyl continues to be the hidden killer in many drugs including the popular blue 30 pills of which he says many are laced with the deadly drug but are sold on the street as Percocete or other less harmful drugs. He says many people who thought they were taking one kind of drug were killed by drugs laced with fentanyl. Curtice also believes local cocaine is also laced with the drug as well.

MANY HOMELESS SUFFER OVERDOSES CAUSED BY FENTANYL

Curtice says he works closely with victim families and speaks around the valley to various groups about the dangers of fentanyl and the challenge authorities have in communities like Yakima.
Some of the overdoses included Yakima's homeless population.
All total 75 people considered homeless died of Yakima streets last year from a variety of causes including drug overdoses.

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