EVERETT, Wash. — As the coronavirus pandemic has taken over headlines and dominated conversations on public health, another crisis has seemingly been swept under the rug.
The opioid epidemic.
Snohomish County health officials said it their weekly media briefing that opioid use numbers are up since last year.
First Lady Melania Trump used some of her time at the Republican National Convention Tuesday to address the national epidemic.
"This disease is one that affects everybody. It pays no attention to race, age, or socioeconomic status. Addiction has touched every part of our society in some way,” she said.
In Snohomish County last year, more than 153 people died from opioid overdoses in Snohomish County.
In just the first quarter of 2020, there were 49 overdose deaths.
Uses of naloxone by first responders to stop overdoses are up too.
In 2019, 642 people were saved from overdoses using naloxone. In the first half of 2020, there were over 413 people saved by the medication.
Health officials think the increase can be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think we really need to stop and recognize some of the implications the pandemic has had on individuals,” said Laura Knapp, director of Behavioral Health for Providence Medical Center in Everett.
According to Knapp, the pandemic has added stress financially as many people are out of a job, socially because interactions have changed, and at home, as people have to adjust to new rules, regulations and norms.
But one of the biggest stressors is isolation.
"Just the stress that comes with people being isolated, right? As people feel more stressed or more anxiety there's a tendency to want to cope by leaning into substances. We want relief from that suffering, so a lot of individuals are really struggling to cope in that way,” she said.
On top of that, many people were cut off from medical providers and support groups as the pandemic limits face-to-face interaction.
“With COVID the inability to meet in person has really impacted people. So, all of these community providers and support networks have greatly transitioned to telehealth, and that’s still a resource but I don’t think it’s the same as being together and having kind of that connection,” she said. “Individuals who maybe are really struggling with managing the stress and they’ve returned to use. We’re really encouraging people to actively seek help early when they see that their stress is increasing. We are seeing a lot of return to use, both in our treatment programs and also in our emergency department.”
One of the best ways to combat substance abuse, according to health officials, is to talk about it.
“it is a disease and there is treatment that absolutely works, and people do get better. It’s really about approaching your loved one with empathy and compassion and without that stigma present none of the blaming or shaming and knowing that there is help out there,” Knapp said.
Melania Trump's speech also addressed overcoming the stigma.
"When the stigma is removed people will no longer be ashamed to ask for help and lives will be saved,” Trump said.
Aug. 31 is National Overdose Awareness Day. Snohomish County is hosting a virtual event for those impacted locally.