The number of drug overdose deaths in North Carolina surged 22.5 percent last year, the second highest increase in the country.That’s according to estimates released on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC says there were 2,515 confirmed deaths from drug overdose from January 2017 to January 2018, nearly 200 more than the previous year.
South Carolina had a 10.3 percent increase. Nebraska had the nation’s highest percentage increase at about 33 percent, but the numbers are significantly smaller with 152 deaths.