### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works and Health Committee met on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, to elect a chair for the new year and receive an update on the county's fentanyl crisis response. Council Member Scanlon was re-elected chair, and Kari Holley from Health and Community Services presented cautiously optimistic data showing declining overdose trends alongside ongoing prevention and treatment efforts. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Executive Order (Fentanyl):** A directive from the County Executive establishing formal operations and response protocols to address the fentanyl crisis in Whatcom County. **PETA Model:** Prevention, Education, Treatment, and Aftercare - a comprehensive framework used to organize the county's response to the opioid crisis across the full continuum of care. **Naloxone:** A life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, also known by the brand name Narcan, distributed through community kiosks and outreach programs. **Opioid Settlement Funds:** Money awarded to local governments from lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis, with specific restrictions on how the funds can be used. **Good Samaritan Laws:** Legal protections that encourage people to call for emergency help during an overdose without fear of prosecution for drug possession. **Third Spaces:** Community gathering places outside of home and work/school where youth can socialize safely, seen as important for preventing drug use and social isolation. **Results-Based Accountability:** An evaluation approach that focuses on measuring whether programs and policies are achieving their intended outcomes rather than just tracking activities. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Jon Scanlon | Council Member, Committee Chair | | Mark Stremler | Council Member, Committee Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member, Committee Member | | Kari Holley | Program Specialist, Whatcom County Health and Community Services | | Kayla Schott-Bresler | Executive's Office Representative | ### Background Context Whatcom County has been grappling with a severe fentanyl crisis that peaked in 2023 with 137 overdose deaths - five times higher than levels from five years ago. The county implemented a comprehensive fentanyl operations plan following an executive order, investing significant resources across prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare. While recent data shows promising downward trends in overdoses and deaths, officials emphasize cautious optimism given the sustained nature of the crisis. The county has secured federal and state grant funding, including $150,000 from the Washington State Department of Health for education campaigns, and is working to expand naloxone distribution, embed substance use professionals in emergency departments, and create comprehensive evaluation metrics to measure the effectiveness of their response efforts. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee first re-elected Jon Scanlon as chair for 2025. Kari Holley then presented encouraging data showing opioid-related emergency visits down from previous years, suspected overdoses dropping from a 66% incident rate in 2023 to 58% in 2024, and overdose deaths declining from 137 in 2023 to 80 through November 2024. She outlined ongoing prevention efforts including a $150,000 education grant, new naloxone distribution kiosks with Spanish/English materials, severe weather shelters with substance use support, and intervention programs like embedded specialists at Peace Health emergency department. The county is developing comprehensive evaluation metrics to track program effectiveness through March 2025, with monitoring reports due in July 2025 and a full evaluation by July 2026. ### What to Watch Next - Committee meeting tomorrow on "third spaces" for youth as prevention strategy - New vendor contracts for expanded education materials coming to Council in two weeks - Evaluation plan finalization by March 2025, with first monitoring report due July 2025 - Opening of Dequal Wellness Center partnership on Division Street early 2025 ---