Opioid overdose emergency department visits reported

Published 4:08 pm Tuesday, March 20, 2018

There were 397 opioid overdose hospital emergency department (ED) visits in February across North Carolina compared to 433 in February 2017, according to state Division of Public Health data furnished by Tyrrell Sheriff Darryl Liverman.

The majority were white (84%), male (58%), and between the ages 25 to 34 (41%).

There were 270 heroin overdose ED visits last month compared to 289 this time in 2017. Heroin overdoses accounted for 68% of all opioid overdose ED visits for February 2018. The majority were white (87%), male (65%), and between the ages 25 to 34 (51%).

The highest rates of opioid overdose ED visits occurred in Davidson (8.5 per 100,000 residents), Cumberland (8.3), and Alamance (8.1) counties.

No opioid overdose cases were reported in Tyrrell County in February.