KPHD reports flattening drug overdose cases

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026

The Kitsap Public Health District Board received updates about respiratory illnesses and reviewed new data about drug overdoses as part of its March 3 meeting.

“As you know, we have seen record highs within recent years in terms of the number of non-fatal and fatal overdoses, but starting around 2023 and into 2024 and now continuing into 2025 across the country, we have actually seen a decline in fatal overdoses,” KPHD health officer Dr. Herbie Duber said.

Duber said preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from 2025 has shown some decreases in overdoses, adding, “ Washington has followed this trend largely in 2023-2024. I have not seen the final data for 2024-2025, but some preliminary data from the CDC does suggest a little bit of a flattening of our curve. So we’re not necessarily seeing the same continuous decline that maybe some other places are seeing,” he said.

The health officer said collecting data on non-fatal and fatal overdoses can also be challenging.

“We are hopeful that we are going to continue to see a decline. Remember, many individuals will not present to an emergency department. They may be reversed with Naloxone by a friend or by EMS, and then declined transport. And so we don’t always see those individuals present in our data, and increasingly, I think that that is probably the case, but we’re seeing fewer of those individuals presenting for formal emergency department care and instead seeking care elsewhere,” Duber said.

Some KPHD opioid use disorder responses include: campaigns and public education, naloxone distribution/training, as well as data collection, analysis, and dashboard development, per documents.

Duber reported influenza rates remain high, with roughly 4.1% of emergency department visits in Kitsap County attributable to influenza (for the week ending Feb.21).

“We anticipate, hopefully, that this will start to decline soon. We’re getting late in the flu season, but it has remained…high in terms of influenza activity. RSV also has remained elevated. We do see a little bit of a decline here in Kitsap, but elsewhere across the country, they have not necessarily seen that decline. So I don’t know whether that is something that is just a blip on our radar, and we’re going to continue to see elevated RSV rates or not,” he said.

Statewide, health department officials have 26 confirmed cases of measles as of March 2, Duber said. 21 of the cases are linked to the Washington outbreak, and KPHD has not identified any cases in Kitsap County as of March 3.

KPHD health administrator Yolanda Fong provided an update on future changes to the solid and hazardous waste ordinance. Fong said the health district is in the early stages of updating the existing ordinance, last approved by the board in 2010, and described some of the work KPHD does regarding solid and hazardous waste.

“They do a lot of clean up in the community, reducing trash that goes out into the landfills as much as possible, trying to ensure our environment stays safe from contaminants. They work in schools to address things like safe science rooms and making sure chemicals are handled appropriately,” she said.

Fong said KPHD plans to meet with the board’s policy committee to review proposed changes and discuss the process, adding, ” We are also planning on bringing the proposed ordinance to the full board for approval in the next three to four months after the public and other agency comment processes,” she said.