With new data that shows heroin deaths in North Carolina have increased more than 10 times over the past decade, Wilmington will observe International Overdose Awareness Day with an event at Greenfield Amphitheater.
New data from the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s office shows that heroin overdose deaths between 2010 – 2017 rose from 0.5 per 100,000 in 2010 to 5.6 in 100,000 in 2017. Meanwhile, overdoses involving Fentanyl or similar drugs rose from 1.2 per 100,000 in 2010 to 5.3 per 100,000 in 2017. In 2010, there were 893 opiod deaths
in North Carolina, jumping to 1974 deaths in 2017.
International Overdose Awareness Day will be observed on Friday, August 31 from 5-8 p.m. at Greenfield Amphitheater.
The event is put on in partnership with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County LRC, and Heart of Wilmington.
It will feature a speaker from Governor Roy Cooper’s office, Representative Deb Butler, a Speaker from Mayor Bill Saffo’s office, a speaker from New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, a speaker from Wilmington Police Department, County Commissioner Rob Zapple and Mark Marcley from the Prodigal Son Recovery Home.
The event will also feature information on local resources for those fighting addiction or family members.
