Published: 06/25/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Spokane County has lost a local resident to an overdose nearly every day for two years running. The number of deaths is driven by the fentanyl that now dominates the local drug supply. Against that backdrop, one woman who survived a fentanyl overdose is showing what opioid addiction recovery can look like and why access to treatment and harm reduction matters.

To be clear, Washington offers an abundance of programs for substance use disorders. The Evergreen State features local Narcotics Anonymous chapters all the way up to modern inpatient facilities. Nevertheless, vulnerable populations fall through the cracks, and this is where Victoria Neumiller found purpose.

Neumiller woke from a fentanyl overdose near a Spokane convenience store five years ago, revived by friends using ice because they had no other tool at the time. Today she is about three years into recovery and works at a stabilization center helping others through withdrawal.

The Opioid Crisis in Spokane

Spokane County recorded 344 overdose deaths in 2025 and 346 in 2024. That’s roughly fourfold the 80 deaths in 2019, when fentanyl took hold in the Inland Northwest.

In 2025, the Spokane Fire Department responded to 1,795 patients who’ve overdosed and administered the overdose-reversal medication Narcan 980 times. That’s an average of about 150 overdose responses and 82 Narcan uses a month in the city alone.

Understanding Fentanyl and Overdose

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid far more potent than other street drugs, which makes overdoses more frequent and harder to reverse. Naloxone, often sold as Narcan, can restore breathing during an opioid overdose by blocking opioids in the brain, and it often takes more than one dose against fentanyl. 

An overdose can consist of slowed or stopped breathing, blue lips, and unresponsiveness. Calling 911 can save a life.

Neumiller’s path ran from cocaine in her teens through methamphetamine and heroin to fentanyl, a progression all too common as tolerance builds. She has been in recovery from all substances since an arrest in 2023 that she describes as the turning point.

Harm Reduction & Treatment

Neumiller credits a mix of support for helping her get and stay in recovery: an Oxford House, stabilization centers, employment and family. Now she helps people through the sweats, nausea, and insomnia of opioid withdrawal at the Pioneer Human Services Stabilization Center. About 40 people come through for help on a given day.

No single path works for everyone. Medication-assisted treatment via FDA-approved prescriptions, medically supervised detox, peer support, and mutual-aid groups all have a role. As Neumiller put it, someone might go through treatment many times before the attempt that finally holds.

Help for Opioid Addiction in Washington and Beyond

If you or someone you love is facing opioid or fentanyl use, there are next steps available right now.

The easiest and most common way is to join a local Narcotics Anonymous chapter in your neighborhood. NA meetings are free to participate, confidential, and made up of peers from your community. Simply dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to chat with a specialist or look through our online directory for meetings anywhere in the country.