BUNCOMBE COUNTY – August 29, 2024 – On August 31st, Buncombe County held an Overdose Awareness Day ceremony at Carrier Park to create more public awareness for this public health problem and to promote local resources to prevent further overdoses and deaths. There were 151 drug overdose deaths in Buncombe County in 2022, almost all were unintentional, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Someone is present at about 40% of overdose deaths. Therefore, overdose deaths can be prevented by the administration of naloxone, a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
Buncombe County receives support from the $29 million opioid settlement fund for programs that are designed to reduce opioid misuse and overdose deaths. The funding will be distributed over the next 14 years. Some of the programs include harm reduction services, naloxone distribution, the post overdose response team, the community paramedic program, and the community reentry team.
Buncombe County Health and Human Services has a harm reduction program at their 40 Coxe Avenue office in Asheville. Here are some features of the program:
- Provides Fentanyl and Xylazine tests strips
- Provides harm reduction supplies
- Provides referrals for medical care and community resources
- Has monthly classes for overdose reversal training
Dr. Shuchin Shukla, Buncombe County’s Medical Substance Use Professional, says ““Opioid use disorder, addiction, and overdose are absolutely preventable and treatable medical conditions. It is up to all of us to work together to improve access to these critical resources for those who are most vulnerable.”
Here’s some local resources:
- The suicide hotline is open anytime, call 9-8-8
- For a medical emergency, call 9-1-1
- For primary health care and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), call Appalachian Mountain Health at 828-257-4745, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) at 828-257-4730, or Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) at 828-285-0622
- For a behavioral health crisis hot line, call VAYA Health at 800-849-6127
- United Way sponsors a referral line for support services in Buncombe County and western North Carolina, call 2-1-1
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
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