The conclusion about overdoses is in an Axios story that uses data from the D.C. chief medical examiner and a harm reduction expert with the non-profit HIPS.
The report also states Black and senior residents have disproportionately been impacted by the opioid epidemic in D.C.
Drugs that users may think are heroin, oxycodone or cocaine are being laced with fentanyl, says the HIPS expert, Shane Sullivan
In 2017, fentanyl was involved in 72% of overdoses in D.C., compared to last year when that number rose to 96%, according to 2022 January-August data from the D.C.’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
