All individuals in Randolph County affected by substance use disorder and mental health conditions are healthy, safe, and free of stigma.
Drug Overdose Death Rate in Randolph County (per 100,000 population)
Current Value
75.2
Definition
Overdose deaths occurring among North Carolina residents have been on the rise. This metric includes deaths involving all types of medications and drugs: opioids (commonly prescribed opioids, heroin, and synthetic narcotics like fentanyl and fentanyl-analogues), stimulats (cocaine, methamphetamine), benzodizpines, and others. This metric includes fatal overdoses of all intents; over 90% of these deaths are unintentional. As a key OSUAP metric, a goal was set to reduce the expected number of overdose deaths by 20% by the end of 2024. 2022 death data are provisional and likely to increase as cases are finalized.
Story Behind the Curve
From 2000-2022, more than 36,000 North Carolinians lost their lives to drug overdose. Randolph County families have been greatly impacted by the opioid epidemic plaguing the United States. Fatalies among residents have risen drastically since 2014.
People with the following characteristics are at greatest risk of experiencing an overdose:
- History of overdose
- History of substance use disorder
- Taking benzodiazapines with opioids
- At risk for returning to a high dose to which they are no longer tolerant (e.g., recently released from jail/prison, patients leaving detoxification facilities)
- Taking higher dosages of opioids (more than 50 morphine milligram equivalents/day)
Factors contributing to the rise in fatal overdoses include fear and stigma which prevents people with substance use orders from seeking evidence-based care. The presence of fentanyl and xylazine identified in numerous samples of drugs tested from Randolph County by the UNC Street Drug Analysis Lab indicates a greater risk of overdose if using. Additionally, people who use drugs may be unaware of local overdose prevention programs that provide tools to reduce risk.
Partners
Health care providers, behavioral health providers, community based organizations, faith-based organizations, human service providers
What Works
Effective strategies to reduce the risk of overdose deaths include:
- Provide overdose prevention education (e.g., never use alone, go slow)
- Provide overdose prevention tools to identify presence of fentanyl or xylazine in drug supply (e.g., fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips)
- Reduce barriers to naloxone kits
- Reduce barriers to evidence-based addiction treatment (e.g., medications for opioid use disorder)
- Training community members and peers on naloxone administration to reverse an overdose
- Offering drug testing in partnership with UNC Street Drug Analysis Lab
Strategy
To address the drastic increase in overdose deaths, several community partners are working to reduce barriers to tools and education regarding overdose. These include:
- Naloxone distribution by community programs serving high risk individuals
- Naloxone distribution kiosks
- Train community members to recognize overdose, administer naloxone, and provide rescue breathing
- Provide overdose prevention tools to identify presence of fentanyl or xylazine in drug supply (e.g. fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips)
- Provide overdose prevention education (e.g. never use alone, go slow)
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