Gaston County Drug Overdose Emergency Department Visits Rate per 100,000 Residents (2016-2022)
Current Value
149.00
Definition
Story Behind the Curve
Emergency department (ED) visits for overdose involving medications or drugs with dependency potential have shown a concerning upward trend, escalating from a rate of 158.6 per 100,000 residents in 2016 to 256.10 per 100,000 residents in 2022. The latest report from the N.C. Injury and Violence Branch reveals 620 overdose ED visits in Gaston County for the year 2023, as of 12/13/2023, surpassing the 525 visits reported from January to November 2022. The demographic most impacted by these overdose ED visits is the White population and individuals between the ages of 25 and 34.
Reference: GastonCountyMedDrugOverdosewithDependencyPotentialEDVisits.pdf (ncdhhs.gov)