Fentanyl overdoses are on the rise around Charlotte. Last week, police and county officials announced that overdoses are up 20% so far in 2023.
In addition, CMPD’s VICE Unit says it has seized 30 kilograms of suspected fentanyl this year. That’s enough to kill 15 million people. A big concern is that these drugs are often mistaken for others. Police warn that people might think they are taking pills like Xanax, Adderall or Percocet, but those drugs have been mixed with fentanyl.
Mecklenburg County is not alone. Communities continue to fight the nation's fentanyl and opioid epidemic. This comes as opioid settlement funds are being doled out across the country, including in North Carolina.
Mike Collins and our panel of guests discuss the state of those funds and the latest on the crisis.
GUESTS:
Aneri Pattani, senior correspondent at KFF Health News
Robert Sprague, a lieutenant with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's VICE Unit
Dr. Jon Studnek, deputy director of Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services
