Drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of death due to injury, causing more recorded deaths than traffic accidents in the past 5 years (NC State Center for Health Statistics [SCHS], 2019). Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic or recurrent conditions that, like other chronic illnesses, require ongoing care and treatment for individuals to regain health and maintain recovery. As with any chronic disease, prevention, identification, treatment, and recovery services and supports are essential to ensuring positive health outcomes.   

Source: NC State Center for Health Statistics