Special to IFN

RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper declares Aug. 31 Overdose Awareness Day in North Carolina — a day to remember those lost to overdose, honor their families and renew our commitment to ending the crisis.

Twelve people die daily from preventable overdoses across the state, with more than 37,000 lives lost since 2000. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened this situation with a 7 percent increase in overdose deaths in 2022, making it the highest number of reported deaths on record.

To address these concerning trends, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services continues to work closely with local, state and federal partners to foster collaboration and a coordinated response, from the utilization of robust data monitoring systems to the implementation of community-based overdose prevention programming and expansion of treatment and recovery services.

“Addressing the overdose crisis in North Carolina requires a comprehensive and compassionate approach, especially as we see disproportionate impacts on our Black, Indigenous and communities of color,” said Dr. Kelly Kimple, acting director of the NCDHHS Division of Public Health. “We are dedicated to fostering partnerships and implementing strategies that prioritize person-centered care that supports recovery and ultimately saves lives.”

Overdose rates are rising fastest among Black, Indigenous and people of color populations. From 2019 to 2022, there was a 188 percent increase in Hispanic overdose rates and a 171 percent increase among Black/African American communities. In 2022, Indigenous communities had the highest overdose rate at 109.7 deaths per 100,000. Data also show fatal overdose rates are higher and increasing faster in North Carolina’s rural counties compared to urban counties. From 2018 to 2022, there was a 97 percent increase in the rate of overdose deaths in rural communities.

Gov. Cooper’s Executive Order 303, issued January 29, 2024, aims to improve rehabilitation and re-entry services for incarcerated individuals. Individuals released from prison are 50 times more likely to die of an overdose within 14 days of release. More than 40 county detention facilities have developed strategies and implemented protocols to assure individuals currently prescribed or in need of medication for opioid use disorder have access while incarcerated.

“We are committed to ensuring that every North Carolinian has access to the treatment they need,” said Kelly Crosbie, director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “Our commitment includes dismantling the stigma associated with substance use, investing in evidence-based mental health and substance use services across the state, and expanding access to substance use services, including medications for opioid use disorders through primary care clinics, one of our 85 outpatient opioid treatment programs or through our new mobile opioid treatment clinics which will help us reach more people in rural areas.”

NCDHHS’ commitment and approach to addressing the overdose epidemic is outlined in the “Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan.” In 2021, NCDHHS updated this plan to center two key priorities, health equity and lived experience, in its response to the overdose crisis. Using the Opioid and Substance Use data dashboard, NCDHHS is able to track progress towards reaching goals outlined in the action plan.

Key accomplishments under the Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan include:

♦ Distributing more than one million doses of naloxone to agencies serving those at highest risk for overdose;

♦ Expanding syringe services programs across 66 counties and one federally recognized tribe;

♦ Direct funding to more than 40 community-based programs across North Carolina in efforts to expand overdose prevention activities, services for justice-involved individuals and linkages to care for treatment and recovery supports;

♦ Quarterly NC Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee meetings that have covered topics across the continuum of substance use including prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery;

♦ Holding five Statewide Summits for Overdose Prevention in North Carolina; and

♦ More than 34,000 patients receiving opioid use disorder treatment from 85 opioid treatment programs in 2023.

Support is available across the state for people and families struggling with substance use and who might be at risk of an overdose. Information on accessing services such as substance use treatment, sterile supplies, naloxone or other services through syringe service programs can be found on the North Carolina Safer Syringe Initiative website and NaloxoneSaves.org. To find information about Opioid Treatment Programs in North Carolina, can visit the Central Registry Map. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a Treatment Finder tool that can also be used to find substance use disorder treatment.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis right now, help is available to anyone, anytime. Call or text 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org. Individuals who speak Spanish can connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, texting “AYUDA” to 988, or chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org. For additional support, call the NCDHHS Peer Warmline at 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) to speak with a peer support specialist, someone who understands.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about NCDHHS initiatives and find additional resources, visit ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/overdose-epidemic.