Issaquah Town Hall To Focus On Fentanyl Thursday

ISSAQUAH, WA — District 8 Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Issaquah) is scheduled to host a town hall Thursday evening in Issaquah, and parents of teens are invited to learn more about the dangers of fentanyl. The congresswoman will be joined by first responders from Eastside Fire & Rescue, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security, and an Issaquah School Board member.

The town hall comes amid a continued rise in overdose deaths in Washington and across the United States, including many linked to counterfeit drugs cut with the powerful synthetic opioid. In April, state health officials announced more than 2,000 Washingtonians died from overdoses in 2021 — a more than 66 percent increase in just two years.

"Overdose deaths are a public health emergency, and fentanyl is a major driver," said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, the state's chief science officer, earlier this year. "What looks like a prescription oxycodone pill could be a counterfeit with more than enough fentanyl to kill. People who use drugs should assume that any drugs bought on the street, online, or from a friend has fentanyl."

Parents who wish to attend the town hall can RSVP online to receive more information. The town hall is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and last about an hour.