This press release was provided by the Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

[On Monday], U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, released a new report on the economic impact of the opioid crisis in Washington state. The analysis, modeled after a national analysis conducted by the Council for Economic Advisers, found that in in 2016 alone the opioid crisis cost Washington state over $9 billion in fatalities, health care spending, addiction treatment, criminal justice, and lost productivity.

The largest economic impact of the crisis in Washington state was opioid-related fatalities, which cost the state $7 billion in 2016. From 2012-2016 the total economic cost of opioid-related fatalities in Washington was over $34 billion.

“This new analysis shows just how much our communities are losing economically as they work to face the many challenges of the opioid epidemic,” said Senator Murray. “And while we can show that opioid-related deaths cost billions to Washington state, we also know that no calculation can show the loss each one of those tragedies meant to families and loved ones across our state. I’m going to keep fighting for solutions that can help fight addiction and save lives.”

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