WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Reported overdoses are continuing to trend down in Whatcom County.

According to data from Whatcom County Health and Community Services and EMS, dispatch calls for overdoses have fallen by 26% through September of this year compared to the same period in 2025.

The shift was even more pronounced for opioid overdoses, which have seen a 40% drop.

Emergency room visits for opioid and general overdoses each saw similar decreases of 41% and 23%, respectively.

Overdose deaths from opioids have also significantly tailed off at both the local and state levels after reaching an all-time high in 2023.

Whatcom County reported 24 fatal opioid overdoses midway through this year, compared to 64 in all of 2025.

The latest data comes ahead of the 2026 All Hands Whatcom Opioid Summit on Oct. 21 and 22.