Overdose

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.

Young people in the U.S. are increasingly dying from a highly potent drug that many don't realize they're taking. The parents of one teenager who died this summer are pressing for more education in schools and the community.

The overdose cases occurred late Wednesday as officers found three inmates unresponsive in their cells. Additionally, five inmates were charged with crimes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts North Carolina will see a 43% jump in overdose deaths compared to 2020. Overdose deaths have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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…