The state health department says overdose deaths in North Carolina in 2021 increased by 22%.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said 4,041 people in the state lost their lives to overdose in 2021, the highest number of overdose deaths in a single year on record in the state.
"North Carolina’s communities and families are meeting the tragedy of overdose deaths and the opioid crisis head on, every day,” said Kinsley. "With the right treatment and support, recovery is possible, and individuals can go on to live full and productive lives. Our goal is to break the costly cycle of addiction and the smartest investment we can make to do that is expanding Medicaid."
The rise in recent years is driven by illegally manufactured fentanyl, and in 2021 Kinsley said more than 77% of overdose deaths in the state likely involved fentanyl, often in combination with other drugs.
In 2021, there were nearly 17,000 emergency department visits related to drug overdoses.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the overdose crisis. Overdose deaths have increased 72% since 2019, with a 40% jump in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic.
