Deaths from overdoses, alcohol use, or suicide in Washington state, 2015-2020. Nearly 3,900 Washingtonians died from “deaths of despair” in 2020, an increase of almost 600 since 2019. Graphic: Mark Nowlin / The Seattle Times
Deaths from overdoses, alcohol use, or suicide in Washington state, 2015-2020. Nearly 3,900 Washingtonians died from “deaths of despair” in 2020, an increase of almost 600 since 2019. Graphic: Mark Nowlin / The Seattle Times

By Gene Balk
10 January 2022

(Seattle Times) – They’ve come to be known as “deaths of despair” — fatalities from drug overdoses, alcohol use, and suicide. Research has shown they’ve been on the rise for decades in the United States and have contributed to the decline in life expectancy over the last few years.

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve understandably paid a lot of attention to deaths from COVID-19. But the pandemic may have led to far more deaths than just those directly attributed to the virus.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that deaths of despair spiked during 2020. In Washington, drug overdoses, alcohol use and suicide accounted for about 3,900 deaths, according to my analysis of the data. That’s an increase of almost 600 deaths from 2019.

In fact, it also exceeds the number of Washingtonians who died from COVID in 2020, which the CDC pegs at nearly 3,300. COVID was the fifth leading cause of death in the state in 2020.

“Deaths of despair” by cause in Washington state, 2015-2020. Deaths from drug overdoses and alcohol drove the increase in mortality in 2020. Suicides declined slightly. Graphic: Mark Nowlin / The Seattle Times
“Deaths of despair” by cause in Washington state, 2015-2020. Deaths from drug overdoses and alcohol drove the increase in mortality in 2020. Suicides declined slightly. Graphic: Mark Nowlin / The Seattle Times

According to my analysis, Washington is one of only eight states where deaths of despair outnumbered COVID deaths in 2020. The others are Oregon, Utah, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Alaska and Hawaii. These states, with the exception of West Virginia, had the lowest COVID death rates in 2020. They also, with the exception of Utah, had deaths of despair rates above the national average. West Virginia had the highest rate of deaths of despair.

Nationally, deaths from drug overdoses and alcohol use both increased significantly in 2020, but deaths by suicide declined a little. This pattern held true in Washington, as well. […]

The biggest increase in deaths of despair in Washington was among deaths caused by drug overdoses and alcohol poisoning, reflecting the crises in opioid and methamphetamine addiction. These accounted for 1,641 deaths in 2020, an increase of nearly 500 from 2019.

There was also a spike in deaths from liver disease caused directly by alcohol use. More than 1,000 Washingtonians died from alcoholic liver disease in 2020, up about 150 from 2019. Again, the rates increased among both men and women, among all the major racial/ethnic groups, and across age groups (starting with the 25- to 34-year-old cohort). [more]

‘Deaths of despair’ spiked in Washington in 2020, exceeding deaths from COVID