Department of Health. The Department of Health (DOH) provides services to promote and protect public health in Washington. DOH works with local health jurisdictions, tribal partners, and state healthcare systems to provide technical assistance and strategic planning related to public health.

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Opioid Epidemic. The opioid epidemic began in the 1990s and over 640,000 people nationwide have died from opioid overdose. In 2022, there were 2703 drug-related deaths in Washington with 2000 of those deaths related to opioid overdose. Over 5000 people were hospitalized for non-fatal drug overdose.

Opioid Epidemic Campaigns. The Health Care Authority (HCA) and DOH both produce campaigns related to drug use, including methamphetamines and fentanyl.?Ongoing funding has been appropriated to DOH and HCA three times:

• $400,000 per fiscal year to DOH for opioid use prevention on Spanish-language radio in the Yakima valley;
• $60,000 per fiscal year to DOH for a fentanyl campaign for youth; and
• $1 million per fiscal year to HCA for an opioid awareness campaign to educate youth and young adults of the prevalence and dangers associated with fentanyl in the illicit street drug supply.

DOH must develop, implement, and maintain ?a drug overdose prevention campaign, including information on dangers and harms related to drug use. DOH may include additional information on addiction and overdose prevention, resources for treatment, and immunity for those seeking medical assistance. DOH must provide outreach to youth and adults.

DOH must submit an annual report beginning June 30, 2025. The report must include information on the content included in the campaign, how the campaign was distributed, and data on how many individuals the campaign reached. DOH must identify benchmarks for the effectiveness of the campaign and make recommendations for the modification and continuation of the campaign beginning June 30, 2025.?