Mecklenburg's opioid crisis series

Over the past six years, overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic residents have risen sharply. So has the number of trips to the emergency department because of overdoses. To tackle the crisis, the county has launched two new programs. In part three of WFAE’s series, we speak with doctors, drug users, and county staff about their plans with the nearly $75 million they expect to receive over the next 18 years to address the opioid crisis.

Overdose deaths continue to impact Mecklenburg County residents. Over the past six years, with the exception of last year, overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic residents have risen sharply each year. In part one of WFAE’s series, we explored how job loss and loss of loved ones turn some residents to drugs. In part two, we talk with researchers who test the drugs and with those who say they sold drugs to understand why.

Overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic residents have risen sharply in Mecklenburg County over the past six years. At the same time, overdose deaths among white residents have fluctuated. In part one of a three-part series, WFAE explores the crisis.