Nearly 12 people die each day in NC from overdoses, state data shows
There were 335 people who overdosed and died last month in North Carolina, according to data released by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Last year, the total was 314 overdose deaths.
In 2023, an average of nearly 12 people die each day in North Carolina from overdoses.
State data shows between Jan. 1 and July 31, there are 2,481 people who have died from drug overdoses in North Carolina.
Between Jan. 1, 2022, and July 31, 2022, there were 2,414 overdose deaths, the data shows.
Suspected overdose deaths from 2018-2023 in NC
2018
- January-July: 1,451
- Full Year: 2,554
2019
- January-July: 1,594
- Full Year: 2,688
2020
- January-July: 1,871
- Full Year: 3,132
2021
- January-July: 2,259
- Full Year: 3,961
2022
- January-July: 2,414
- Full Year: 4,243
2023
- January-July: 2,481
- Full Year: ?
In Raleigh, here’s how many overdose deaths the city has had, according to the police:
- 2020: 71
- 2021: 84
- 2022: 97
On Thursday, Raleigh police also provided the number of overdose deaths for the year to date:
- 2020 YTD: 54
- 2021 YTD: 50
- 2022 YTD: 64
- 2023 YTD: 48
The state also found there were 1,466 fentanyl-positive deaths from January through July in North Carolina. During the same period in 2022, there were 1,392 fentanyl-positive deaths.
In March, the Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan to be sold over the counter. Narcan is an overdose-reversing drug.
Health departments in 54 counties in North Carolina have Narcan that they will administer.
Also, 85 of North Carolina's 115 school systems have Narcan on some campuses. In the 2020-2021 school year, the most recent one we have data for, Narcan was used 14 times for suspected overdoses.
On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced $279 million in additional funding to help prevent drug overdoses.
