Mecklenburg County has launched a new post-overdose response team that will begin this month their efforts to reduce the number of deadly overdoses in the area.
The team includes two paramedics and two counselors. They’ll be supported by two cars equipped with items such as naloxone or Narcan, which counteract opioid overdoses. Christopher Griggs, a doctor with Atrium Health, will help lead the team.
“If there’s an overdose in the community and that person doesn’t want to come to the hospital, we can respond to them, educate them, connect them to services in the community, and offer them treatment on the spot,” Griggs said.
In 2024, there were more than 270 fatal overdoses in Mecklenburg County. To help reduce the number, Griggs said they’ll be targeting spots where unhoused people congregate.
“Most of it is around the urban center, so we certainly see a lot of substance use in and around kind of all the areas of uptown and the surrounding neighborhoods, ”Griggs said.
The program is expected to last three years and is funded by part of the nearly $75 million Mecklenburg County is expected to receive over the next 18 years to tackle the opioid crisis.
