Ginny Ramos, Legislative Assistant, vramos@spokanecity.org
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 9:12 a.m.
On Monday, Council Member Dillon championed a resolution to address the fentanyl crisis in Spokane. Resolution 2024-0031, “Addressing Spokane Overdoses,” calls on local and state leaders as well as community members to allow for the increased sharing of information and data to address the growing overdose epidemic through emergency declaration, which could open increased resources to address overdoses. Council passed the resolution unanimously.
“Addressing the public health crisis as it unfolds on our streets involves working together, collaboratively, and sharing information that will be used for increasing prevention and intervention resources and ultimately decrease deaths from overdose,” said Council Member Paul Dillon. “This resolution represents the Spokane City Council’s commitment to saving lives. Fatal overdoses and substance use related injury are 100% preventable, and we must come together to advance harm reduction strategies.”
Through the resolution, Council Member Dillon is asking for expanded access to local data from the Spokane Regional Health District and is publicizing the data during the public safety committee meeting. The resolution also requests that the Governor declare a state of emergency and calls for a coordinated Town Hall meeting for a discussion and meaningful conversation on ways to decrease the number of fentanyl and opioid overdoses in the City of Spokane.
The Spokane “Community Conversation on Opioids and Overdoses” will be held on April 9, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Central Spokane Library, 3rd floor.
About the Spokane City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Spokane, which is home to more than 220,000 people and is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. The City’s 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit SpokaneCity.org/CityCouncil/ and follow us @SpokaneCityCouncil on Facebook.
