NC data shows decline in overdose deaths

North Carolina has experienced a significant decline in suspected overdose deaths, with 224 fatalities reported in September 2024, compared to 353 in September 2023. While health experts are investigating potential factors behind this decrease, overdose deaths remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Posted 10/22/2024, 9:54:24 PM Updated 10/23/2024, 12:58:09 AM

WILL BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK.

ALL THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN

NORTH CAROLINA.

>> THIS IS NEW TONIGHT. DATA

JUST RELEASED SHOWS A PROMISING

TREND IN DRUG OVERDOSES IN

NORTH CAROLINA. THE BUREAU'S

HEALTH REPORTER GRACE TABLES

HERE IN THE STUDIO WITH U.S.

GRACE. WHAT'S BEHIND THIS

IMPROVEMENT?

>> WELL, JERROLD, WHEN IT COMES

TO PEOPLE DYING FROM DRUG

OVERDOSES IN NORTH CAROLINA

TONIGHT, WE DO GET TO SHARE A

BIT OF POSITIVE NEWS. NEW DATA

RELEASED TODAY FROM THE

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES SHOWS OVERDOSE DEATHS

DECREASED FROM 353 LAST

SEPTEMBER TO 200. AND 24 LAST

MONTH. THAT'S DOWN 36%. IT

MEANS WE WENT FROM 12. NORTH

CAROLINIANS DYING EVERY SINGLE

DAY FROM OVERDOSES TO AROUND 7,

EVEN BETTER NEWS. ALL THOSE

DATA ISN'T JUST LIMITED TO LAST

MONTH. THAT'S A TREND WE'VE

ACTUALLY BEEN SEEING OVER THE

PAST YEAR AND A HALF. THE

NUMBER OF FATAL OVERDOSES HAS

CONTINUED TO DECLINE ALMOST

EVERY MONTH SINCE LAST SPRING.

NOW THAT SAID OVERDOSE DEATHS

ARE STILL HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY

WERE PRE-COVID. NOW, THIS IS

A GRAPH THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER

OF FATAL OVERDOSES FROM JANUARY

THROUGH SEPTEMBER FOR THE PAST

7 YEARS. YOU CAN SEE THAT WHILE

THIS YEAR'S NUMBER IS 27 PER

CENT LOWER THAN 2022, IT'S

STILL ABOUT 24% HIGHER THAN

WHAT WE SAW IN 2018. NOW, THE

BIG QUESTION IS WHY WHAT

CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED TO CREATE

THIS DRAMATIC DROP THAT WE'RE

SEEING NOW? EXPERTS ARE

STUDYING A VARIETY OF

POSSIBILITIES. THAT INCLUDES

EVERYTHING FROM NARRE CAN BE

MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

TO THE SCENE. A LOOOK CARTEL IN

MEXICO SIMPLY PHASING OUT THEIR

FENTANYL SHIPMENTS HERE TO THE

U.S. THE TRUTH IS RIGHT NOW,

WE'RE JUST NOT SURE. BUT IT

IS A TREND THAT WE HOPE WILL

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