Clark County Public Health Shares New Overdose Data with PRACC
At the September Prevention and Recovery Alliance Clark County (PRACC) meeting, members welcomed Adiba Ali, an epidemiologist with Clark County Public Health, to share the latest overdose trends and walk through the county’s publicly available Overdose Dashboard.
Ali explained that the dashboard is updated annually and includes both fatal and non-fatal overdose data drawn from multiple sources: death certificates, medical examiner reports, emergency department visits, and 911 calls. “This is a screenshot to our dashboard that's available on our website and it has data through 2023,” Ali said. “It’ll be updated by the end of the year, and we’ve also got demographic trends and maps here that you all are welcome to explore.”
Clark County Overdose Dashboard (clark.wa.gov)
Signs of Progress
For the first time in several years, Clark County is beginning to see some positive movement. Ali highlighted preliminary data showing a decrease in drug overdose deaths between 2023 and 2024, mirroring statewide and national trends.
“For the first time since 2018, we're seeing a decrease in the rate of drug overdoses, both in Clark County and in Washington State. It's a small drop. It's about 5%… but pretty encouraging.”
Methamphetamine-related deaths dropped about 16%.
Fentanyl-involved deaths declined slightly, by about 3%.
Overall overdose deaths have stabilized after steep rises in 2019–2022.
Emergency department data also suggest progress. Ali noted, “On average, last year we had about 14 drug overdose deaths per month. And so far this year, we’re seeing about 12 per month.” While the changes are modest, they reflect the first consistent signs of a downward trend since the onset of the fentanyl crisis.
Shifting Hotspots
Ali also pointed to geographic patterns in the data. Overdose incidents continue to cluster in the Fourth Plain corridor and downtown Vancouver, but newer hotspots are emerging farther east, particularly around the I-205 corridor.
“One of the things I wanted to point out is that we’re seeing the clusters now in the Fourth Plain corridor area and it’s interesting because we’re seeing this area pop up more in the last six, eight months.”
This shift matters for resource planning. “Knowing where the hotspots are and where increased access may be needed to naloxone is so important,” Ali said. “It helps us coordinate with partners to get harm reduction supplies into the hands of the people who need them most.”
Community Impact and Next Steps
PRACC members discussed how the data could guide ongoing efforts to expand naloxone distribution, particularly through vending machines and community-based outreach. The conversation also underscored the need to monitor non-opioid overdose risks — including alcohol and stimulant use — which contribute to preventable deaths alongside opioids.
This level of detail helps organizations better understand which populations are most affected and how to tailor services for equity and impact.
Explore the Clark County Overdose Dashboard here: clark.wa.gov/public-health/overdose-dashboard