Addiction Coverage

September shines a light on addiction treatment

September is national recovery month.

National Recovery Month: Support, resources are available to those battling addiction

For people who have been or are being treated for addiction, September is an important time to recognize and celebrate recovery.

Willie Daniely, WRAL reporter

NC rolls out mobile treatment unit to fight opioid epidemic

North Carolina is piloting a mobile clinic program to provide opioid treatment to rural counties.

NC's mobile clinics provide treatment for opioid addiction

North Carolina is piloting a mobile clinic program to provide opioid treatment to rural counties.

Ali Ingersoll, WRAL investigative data reporter

Former drug addict fosters faith-based reformation through carrying crosses 300 miles across NC

A Knightdale man once mired in the depths of drug addiction is helping a group of men going through similar struggles, helping them carry crosses 300 miles across North Carolina.

Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

Heavy lifting: CrossFit brings new purpose for Moore Co. woman overcoming alcoholism

Madeline Smith has a chance to don the cover of a women's fitness magazine after joining CrossFit, but she's most grateful for the classes playing a key role in her sobriety.

Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

As legal gambling spreads, so does gambling addiction

There has been a 30% increase in the risk for gambling problems nationwide since 2018, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 opened the door for states to legalize sports gambling.

As sports gambling expands, so do concerns over addiction

North Carolina lawmakers appears poised to legalize online sports gambling in the state, joining more two dozen other states. Problem gambling is on the rise.

Brian Murphy, WRAL sports investigative reporter

Editorial: With criminal crackdown, funding community treatment for addiction impacts even more crucial

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 -- Getting tough criminal laws grabs get-tough headlines and photo opportunities with uniformed law enforcement leaders. But legislators must not neglect the larger part of the problem - cutting the demand and getting those who are hooked on opioids the opportunity for treatment and recovery.

Overdoses, crashes, criminal charges: The dangerous power of addiction

The ex-fiancee of a man charged with killing a cyclist while driving while impaired shared her tragic story of his cycle of addiction.

Former fiancée of frequent impaired driver shares harrowing story of addiction

We are hearing from the (now former) fiancée of Blake Nichols Grady, the man charged with hitting and killing a cyclist and injuring a deputy Sunday while he was on drugs.

Sarah Krueger, WRAL Senior Durham reporter

Editorial: Debate exchange on drugs shows Budd's more about rhetoric than solutions

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022 -- Never, in the course of U.S. Senate candidate Ted Budd's discussion of illegal drugs did he mention the HUGE toll that drug addiction is taking on the state, any concern for those who struggle with addiction or who are its victims. Nor did he make any mention of efforts to address this.

Wake County to receive $35 million to help those with opioid addiction

Wake County will receive more than $35 million dollars over the next 18 years as part of the National Opioid Settlement.

Woman charged after two found dead of apparent overdose

Harnett Sheriff Wayne Coats is trying to spread the word of warning signs of opioid abuse.

Demi Lovato's 'Skin of My Teeth' addresses struggle with addiction

Demi Lovato has gone punk.

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

Pharmacy hosts medication take-back event to curb addiction

Eastern Carolina Medical Center is hosting a drug take back event Friday afternoon in Benson. The event is for people to return old medication they aren't using or expired medication.

Keely Arthur, 5 on Your Side reporter

'Dropping like flies:' Fentanyl driving NC overdoses higher than 2021 record

Nearly 1,400 people in North Carolina have died from a drug overdose in the first four months of 2022. That's nearly 12 people each day.

Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter and Ali Ingersoll, WRAL investigative data reporter

NC expecting hundreds of millions of dollars as opioid settlements flood into the state

More people die in the U.S. from opioid addiction than car crashes. WRAL Statehouse Reporter Travis Fain discusses the hundreds of millions of dollars flooding into North Carolina to combat addiction. This money comes from settled lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and others who sold legal drugs, in what many consider immoral quantities.

New UNC-Chapel Hill research center to examine link between technology use and teen mental health

The Winston Family Foundation's $10 million gift will help launch the Winston National Center.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Have 'The Third Talk' to protect your kids from porn, predators on the internet

A 2019 study shows that 93% of boys and 68% of girls have seen sexually explicit content before graduating high school.

Kathy Hanrahan, WRAL lifestyle editor

Program giving new hope for recovery to those living with substance use

A new program in Robeson County helps people who find themselves in the criminal justice system find a space in a rehab. Robeson's ER visit rate for overdoses is among the highest rates in the state.

Ali Ingersoll, WRAL Investigative Data Journalist

LEAD program giving new hope to Robeson Co. families

Robeson's ER department visits following an overdose is among the highest rates in the state and about 3.5 times North Carolina's rate.

COVID increases struggles for those fighting addiction

As a certified peer support specialist, Maxx Dempsey sees how people struggling to battle their addictions and mental health issues during COVID-19.

Specialists seeing mental health and addiction issues worsened by COVID-19 pandemic

Pandemic precautions create a bigger hurdle for those dealing with mental health issues and addiction. As COVID-19 concerns linger, many people feel more isolated than ever.

Kinston clinic attracting national attention for helping community overcome addiction

A doctor in Kinston has been named to a national organization looking to keep people suffering from addiction and mental illness in rural communities out of jail.