North Carolina Sees Sharp Rise In Opioid Overdose Emergency Room Visits

There were over 5,700 emergency department visits for opioid overdoses in 2017. That amounts to a 40 percent increase from the year before.

Data show that the majority of individuals visiting the hospital were white males between the ages of 25 and 34.

Dr. Susan Kansagra with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says one of the reasons for the increase in ER visits is the rise of illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin.

“These drugs are much more potent," she says. "They're much more likely to cause respiratory depression and overdose. Because these drugs are now available cheaply and widely, there's more people using them and therefore more people suffering.”

Kansagra says opioid addiction is a chronic disease and should be treated as such, with lifelong support available for those in need. Rowan, Stokes and Yadkin Counties were among those with the highest rate of ER visits.