Forsyth County is tracking where drug overdoses are occurring and making that information more widely available.
From January 2021 to December of last year, the county’s Emergency Services responded to more than 4,000 overdose calls. A new interactive online map shows where these overdoses are happening, the impact they’re having on communities, the demographics involved, and the toll it’s taking on the lives of those most affected.
MapForsyth and Forsyth County Health and Human Services are behind the effort. Behavioral Health Services Director Denise Price says this mapping project uses data to tell stories in a transparent way that more clearly demonstrates what’s happening in the community.
"There is not a single space that is untouched," says Price. "So, this is a community problem. This is not a problem of a certain footprint, a certain age, a certain demographic. It also helps to understand that are disparities, that there are certain areas that have higher overdose rates."
“Unseen Patterns: The Overdose Story in Forsyth County” will be presented at the Forsyth County Central Library, on Tuesday, March 5. A virtual event is also planned the following week. The presentations will include information for residents on how to prevent overdoses from happening, and where to access resources to help.