Facing the Opioid Crisis in North Carolina

The opioid epidemic is one that has unfortunately swept the nation. These addictive drugs have both gripped and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. In North Carolina, it’s estimated that more than 12,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses from 1999 - 2016. In 2016, the per capita death rate from drugs in general was nearly 16 per 100,000.

In addition to the terrible loss of life from opioid-related costs, there is also the economic impact that this crisis has had on our state. According to the CDC, it’s estimated that the cost of unintentional opioid-related deaths was around $1.3 billion. That number has only grown in the last few years since 2015.

So what are leaders in North Carolina doing to face this crisis?

Unfortunately, there is not just one solution that will fix this crisis. It will take efforts from many different agencies, organizations, and communities working together. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has created an action plan through 2021 that outlines their steps. There are seven focus areas:

• Coordinating the state’s infrastructure to tackle the opioid crisis.
• Reducing the oversupply of prescription opioids.
• Reducing the diversion of prescription drugs and the flow of illicit drugs.
• Increasing community awareness and prevention.
• Making naloxone widely available.
• Expanding treatment and recovery systems of care.
• Measuring the effectiveness of these strategies based on results.

Using these as a general guideline, the government aims to reduce opioid overdoses by 20% by 2021. Each quarter the metrics of the plan are updated and can be viewed here.

In May 2017, North Carolina received over $31 million in a grant to help address the opioid crisis through the 21st Century Cures Act, State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants.

The opioid crisis is one that is not limited to just North Carolina, but North Carolina has been hit worse than some states. The one silver lining is that the government, organizations, and health professionals are aware of it and are working to make it better. If we all try and support those who need help, we might achieve it.