Richmond County Opioid Data Dashboard

This slide set was created to provide basic county-level data trends and public health surveillance around the overdose epidemic. These slides are used as a way to provide a basic county-level background on medication and drug overdose deaths by intent, types of substances contributing to unintentional overdose deaths, economic costs, as well as harm reduction efforts.

This slide displays the trends of the last ten years for medication and drug overdose deaths by intent (unintentional, self-inflicted, assault, and undetermined intents). It also displays all intents summed together. In North Carolina, as in the United States as whole, deaths due to medication/drug overdoses have been steadily increasing since 1999, and the vast majority (90%) of these are unintentional. In 2019, an average of 6 people a day died from medication/drug poisoning in North Carolina (all intents). That number of medication/drug deaths has increased 120%, over the last 10 years (2010-2019). While the number of self-inflicted deaths have remained relatively stable, less than 200 a year, unintentional drug overdoses have continued to rise. Despite a dip from 2017 to 2018, overdose deaths rose in 2019. Opioids, specifically, have contributed to the majority of these deaths.

This slide displays the trends of the last ten years for medication and drug overdose deaths by intent (unintentional, self-inflicted, assault, and undetermined intents). It also displays all intents summed together. In North Carolina, as in the United States as whole, deaths due to medication/drug overdoses have been steadily increasing since 1999, and the vast majority (90%) of these are unintentional. In 2019, an average of 6 people a day died from medication/drug poisoning in North Carolina (all intents). That number of medication/drug deaths has increased 120%, over the last 10 years (2010-2019). While the number of self-inflicted deaths have remained relatively stable, less than 200 a year, unintentional drug overdoses have continued to rise. Despite a dip from 2017 to 2018, overdose deaths rose in 2019. Opioids, specifically, have contributed to the majority of these deaths. *Technical Notes: The data provided here are part of the Vital Registry System of the State Center for Health Statistics and have been used to historically track and monitor the drug overdose burden in NC using ICD10 codes. The definitive data on deaths come from the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). For the most recent data and data on specific drugs, please contact at OCME at http://www.ocme.dhhs.nc.gov/annreport/index.shtml

This slide compares the demographic breakdown of drug overdose deaths in a county compared to population estimates for each subgroup in the same county. Groups for which the dark bar is longer than the light bar indicates that the percent of deaths involving that group was greater than the percent of the population accounted for by that group. Statewide, med/drug overdose death rates are highest among males, individuals between 25 and 54 years of age, and non-Hispanic American Indians and Whites.

This map shades the counties of NC based on their respective unintentional medication/drug overdose death rate. The statewide rate of unintentional medication and drug overdose deaths was 18.5 per 100,000 persons from 2015-2019. This five-year period was used in order to provide greater reliability in county-level rate estimates. In counties with less than five deaths, rates were not calculated. Interpret rates with caution in counties with less than 10 deaths

This map shades the counties of NC based on their respective unintentional opioid overdose death rate. The statewide rate of unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths was 15.3 per 100,000 people (2015-2019). This five-year period was used in order to provide greater reliability in county-level rate estimates. In counties with less than five deaths, rates were not calculated. Interpret rates with caution in counties with less than 10 deaths.

Average costs for medical costs and work loss costs are based on 2010 prices, then indexed to 2017 prices in North Carolina, as that is the most recent year for which data was available. These figures do not include costs associated with treatment and recovery or other impacts of this epidemic; costs are limited to the cost of one year of overdose fatalities (all intents, all medication/drugs). Costs: based on Fatal Injuries, Both Sexes, All ages, North Carolina, 2017. All Intents. Mechanism: Poisoning. Case Counts: Medication and Drug Overdose deaths, Counties, 2019. All Intents. Per capita cost based on 2019 population.

There are known data quality gaps for May June 2021 that may be impacting the shown trends. Interpret the data for these months with caution.

EMS Suspected Opioid Overdose

Children in foster care due to parental substance use The OAP aims to address the impact of family substance use on children by working with families with children in foster care or those at risk of having children placed outside of the home. Connecting parents to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, recovery support services, peer support, and other services such as transportation and housing can help decrease the number of children in foster care due to parental substance use.

Opioid overdose deaths Unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths occurring among North Carolina residents have been on the rise. This metric includes deaths involving all types of opioids: commonly prescribed opioids, heroin, and synthetic narcotics like fentanyl and fentanyl-analogues. As a key OAP metric, a goal was set to reduce the expected number of deaths by 20% by the end of 2021. While 2020 death data is delayed due to COVID-19, 2020 ED data suggests overdoses may have increased during COVID-19.