If you’ve been following our coverage of the opioid crisis in North Carolina and whether the state is properly funding a response, a new report from Castlight Health will interest you.
The report uses current, anonymous health data from nearly a million people who use employer-based health insurance to map the 25 worst cities in the U.S. for opioid abuse. North Carolina has 4 cities in the top 20 – including the number one spot, Wilmington.
Other North Carolina cities on the list include Hickory at 5th, Jacksonville at 12th and Fayetteville at 18th.
The report also has some interesting stats on income levels relative to opioid abuse and income as well as age.
Read the full report here.
While the recently passed state budget did improve funding for the state’s Controlled Substances Reporting System and funneled $10 million in federal grants to treatment services, it was well under what Gov. Roy Cooper called for in his suggested budget and only about half of what was called for in the bi-partisan Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act.
A small pilot program to treat opiate overdoses was funded in Wilmington, the seat of New Hanover County which has one of the highest instances of opioid related deaths. The problem there has led the county health department to produce a series of public service announcement videos.
A number of Democrats – including Cooper – are disappointed and say more funding and a more holistic approach is crucial.
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