Fentanyl
The opioid crisis was spiraling for years in Seattle. The City of Seattle eventually enacted a state law that criminalized possession. The idea was that the enforcement may prevent deaths. It’s a telling predilection that loss of liberties is to prevent death, if part of the cause is a failure of governments to stem the supply of toxic, addictive, and lethal substances. It's an intricate set of issues that caused this self-imposed pain.
Aluminum foil that will likely be used for vaporizing fentanyl is abandoned on Pine Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 13, 2022.
A conflagration of substance abuse draws crowds to Pike Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on July 5, 2023.
Third Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA, seen on March 15, 2022, is garnering international attention due to economics, urban decay, and revitalization efforts.
Seattle Police Officer V. Lee patrols on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pike Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 12, 2022.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell delivers the State of the City address in Seattle, Washington, USA on February 21, 2023.
Opioids are common if not ever-present at encampments, seen on January 28, 2023, in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Seattle Police patrol on 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 10, 2022.
A man appears passed-out on Pike Street near 3rd Avenue in Seattle, Washington, USA on June 22, 2022.
A pipe used for inhaling fentanyl is openly displayed on a street corner in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 11, 2023.
Substance abuse is rampant on The Blade at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on April 20, 2023.
The Seattle Police Mobile Precinct is stationed on the west side of 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 12, 2022.
People using fentanyl show signs of impairment and incognizance on Pike Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 11, 2023.
Medics attend to a patient on 3rd Avenue in Seattle, Washington, USA on April 2, 2023.
Paramedics respond to a call on 3rd Avenue near Pike Street in Seattle, Washington, USA on April 17, 2023.
A man who was overdosing returns to consciousness after naloxone was administered and then being propped-upright in Seattle, Washington, USA on September 13, 2023.
Memorial for Michael Del Bianco, who was shot near 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in Seattle, Washington, USA a week earlier, seen on March 10, 2022.
Emergency physician Callan Fockele, MD speaks to press about the opioid crisis in Seattle, Washington, USA on September 19, 2023.
Harborview Medical Center, on March 25, 2024, is a primary location for individuals with opioid use disorder in Seattle, Washington, USA.