Study Shows a Drop in Drug-Induced Deaths in North Carolina

Substance abuse affects many people across the country and according to the CDC, over 100,000 people in the U.S. died from drug and alcohol-induced causes in 2017. That number accounts for 4 percent of deaths across all causes and is equivalent to an average of 300 people per day or 12.5 people per hour.

A new study released by River Oaks Treatment shows that drug and alcohol-induced deaths are up 37 percent from 2013, but between the years 2017 and 2018, the percentage of drug related deaths specifically has dropped in North Carolina.

According to the data, in 2017, the mortality rate in North Carolina due to drugs was 24.48 people out of 100,000, but in 2018 the state dropped down by 7.81 percent to 22.59 people. When looking at the rankings of all 50 states, North Carolina was the 24th worst state in 2018 for drug related deaths, not far behind Illinois, Arizona, and New Mexico.

It’s good to see the numbers in North Carolina dropping, but scary to see that the average amount of deaths is on the rise. It will be interesting to see where these numbers go in the next few years.

Below you will find the states with the highest rate of drug- induced deaths in 2017:

1. West Virginia

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 56.34

2. District of Columbia

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 46.40

3. Ohio

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 45.45

4. Pennsylvania

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 42.91

5. Maryland

1. Deaths per 100,000 people: 37.94

6. Kentucky

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 37.31

7. New Hampshire

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 35.67

8. Delaware

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 35.55

9. Massachusetts

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 33.86

10. Maine

• Deaths per 100,000 people: 33.16