ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County continues to have the distinction of being one the state’s leaders in fentanyl-involved death rates.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Nov. 3 released updated statistics for May-July showing Richmond now has the second-highest rate of such deaths, with Swain County taking the lead in the latter two months.
According to the reports, Richmond County had a rate of 74.4 for the time period of June ‘22-May ‘23; 72.2 July ‘22-June ‘23; and 79.5 August ‘22-July ‘23. For the latter time period, there were 34 fentanyl-involved deaths in the county.
The county’s rate is more than twice the state average of 32.5.
Although Swain County only had 10 related deaths, its higher rate of 85.9 is due to its lower population of less than 14,000. Robeson County is third with a rate of 73.7 and 86 deaths.
Rounding out the counties with a rate of 50.9 or higher are:
- Craven – 65 deaths, with a rate of 64.4
- Rowan – 96 deaths, with a rate 64.2
- Bladen – 17 deaths, with a rate of 57.7
- Cherokee – 17 deaths, with a rate of 57.6
- Rutherford – 36 deaths, with a rate of 55.4
- Montgomery – 14 deaths, with a rate of 54.1
- Yadkin – 20 deaths, with a rate 53.4
There are 24 counties, including Scotland, with a rate of 33.3-50.8; and 17 counties, including Moore, that have a rate of 21.5-33.2.
North Carolina had 3,474 fentanyl-involved deaths for the time period — 2,045 in the first seven months of 2023. That number has been climbing every year since 2016, according to the report. There were 266 in the month of July, up from 251 in July ‘22.
Since August of 2021, May of this year had the highest number of fentanyl-involved deaths statewide with 345.
Only 17% of the deaths involved only fentanyl, according to the report. Cocaine appears to be the most common combined drug at 46%, followed by methamphetamine at 27% (which had reached as high as 37%), alcohol at 26%, and other prescription drugs at 24%.
It appears that overall overdose deaths may be declining across the state.
The number of suspected overdose deaths in August was down to 334 from 402 the previous year, and September deaths were down to 353 from 377 in 2022.
The report from the OCME notes that “some suspected overdoses may ultimately be certified as nonpoisoning deaths, but the majority become confirmed as poisoning deaths.”
Note: All data is provisional.
