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Heroin Death Rate Spike In North Carolina Among The Highest Nationwide

Amid a broader rise in drug overdose deaths, the jump in mortality rates from heroin overdoses in North Carolina are among the highest in the United States. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show North Carolina has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

In fact, the state has been listed among the worst in the nation when it comes to an increase in deaths from heroin.

Between 2014 and 2015, heroin overdose deaths shot up by more than 46 percent in North Carolina. That's more than any other state listed in the report, except for South Carolina.

Nationwide, the number of deaths from opioids increased across the board.  If there's a bright spot, it's this: the number of deaths from methadone – which can be used to treat heroin withdrawal – have dropped, especially in North Carolina.

Abuse of painkillers like Oxycontin – which can lead to heroin abuse – has caused federal health officials to call for alternative drugs and new prescribing practices.   

The CDC says there needs to be a significant and collaborative approach to fighting the epidemic that includes law enforcement, public health officials, and primary care physicians. The agency has also recommended community harm reduction approaches like syringe exchange programs, which remain controversial in some cities and states.

Sean Bueter joined WFDD in August 2015 as a reporter covering issues across the Piedmont Triad and beyond.Previously, Sean was a reporter, host and news director at WBOI in Fort Wayne, Ind., just a few hours from where he grew up. He also sorted Steve Inskeep's mail as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C.Sean has experience on a variety of beats, including race, wealth and poverty, economic development, and more. His work has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and APM's Marketplace.In his spare time, Sean plays tennis (reasonably well), golf (reasonably poorly), and scours local haunts for pinball machines to conquer.

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