Health Officials: Opioid Crisis Worsening In NC

CHARLOTTE, NC — The opioid crisis in North Carolina is growing after the state saw a 73% spike in opioid-related deaths over a 10 year period.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services says the number rose from 642 in 2005 to 11,010 in 2015. During that same period, Mecklenburg County saw opioid-related deaths climb from 26 to 61.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin and several powerful pain relievers. In 2016, Charlotte saw heroin-related overdoses jump 55%.