Oregon Health Authority releases finalized drug overdose figures for last year, which show a trend of rising fatalities every year since 2019 

By Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle

More than 1,800 Oregonians died of drug overdoses in 2023, a rising trend that state leaders want to reverse with new programs to combat addiction. 

Oregon’s annual death toll from drug overdoses has increased every year since 2019, when 626 people died, according to data the Oregon Health Authority released Thursday. With overdoses on the rise, Oregon officials are mapping out strategies and plans to put more money and resources into driving down overdoses and illicit drug usage. 

Fentanyl and other opioids are a major driver for overdose deaths. Nearly 1,400 people died of an opioid overdose in 2023. 

“Oregon’s overdose crisis has affected every community across the state, and the highly sensitive and traumatic nature of these events has caused harm, trauma and loss that impact the well-being of everyone,” said Liz McCarthy, overdose epidemiologist in OHA’s Injury and Violence Prevention Program. “The impact fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses have on our communities shows how important this data can be, especially for data-driven decisions.”

Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposal for the state’s next two-year budget would put $90 million into adult mental health and addiction treatment facilities. 

Kotek also is proposing $40 million to help support deflection programs, including outreach workers and counselors who work with people in addiction to steer them towards treatment and into recovery programs. 

This year, Oregon lawmakers passed House Bill 4002, which allowed counties to start deflection programs so people can avoid misdemeanor drug possession charges if they have an assessment and start the program, which can include treatment, counseling and other services. 

So far, 28 of Oregon’s 36 counties have either started or plan to start the programs, and about 220 people are in the programs statewide.

Kotek also has proposed $25 million for youth behavioral health services, which includes expanded residential and community programs, school-based health centers that provide screening and prevention services and youth suicide prevention services.

That builds upon work that started this year, when Oregon lawmakers put more than $200 million toward drug addiction treatment needs. The funding goes toward needs including new residential treatment facilities and recovery houses, medication and treatment for people in jails and other programs. 

The 2023 figures lag by nearly a year because of the work needed to analyze death data, including toxicology reports. 

Combined with other data on the state’s dashboard, the dashboard’s findings show the depth of the state’s addiction crisis. Overdoses and drugs have seeped into smaller and rural communities, well outside urban hubs like Portland and Eugene. 

In Jackson County, people experiencing drug overdoses entered hospital emergency rooms 736 times in 2023. That same year, 130 people in the southern Oregon county died of drug overdoses. 

Statewide, Oregonians made 11,125 trips to hospital emergency rooms in 2023 due to drug overdoses.

Ben Botkin covers justice, health and social services issues for the Oregon Capital Chronicle.