Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker reports 10 overdose deaths occurred between Jan. 1 and Feb. 4, five of which happened within a day and a half.
They included a 15-year-old Longview resident who overdosed on morphine Jan. 25. A man accused of selling drugs to her and other minors was arrested last week.
This death has been the only minor so far this year.
Tucker said more overdose deaths have occurred since Feb. 4, but could not give an exact number.
The coroner’s office recorded 52 drug overdoses in 2024 and 49 in 2023.
The coroner’s 2023 annual report shows 42 of the drug deaths included fentanyl, 34 included meth, seven included cocaine and one included heroin. Data from 2024 is not yet available.
The state Department of Health reports an overdose death rate of 3,458 per 100,000 people in 2023. Most of those involved opioids or a combination of drugs. State data for 2024 is not yet available.
