Community Update and Conversation on Local Opioid Response Efforts

According to recent statistics from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, opioid overdose deaths across North Carolina dropped for the first time in five years, yet the numbers from Buncombe County tell a different story.

The Issue:

• Over 13,000,000 opioid pills were dispensed to Buncombe residents in 2017.^[1]
• Overdose deaths in Buncombe County nearly tripled between 2015 and 2017 (38-92) ^[2]
• Overdose Emergency Department visits are still on the rise as of July 2019 (163 YTD Jul ’18; 180 YTD Jul ’19)^[3]
• 1,044 cases of Hepatitis C diagnosed between October 2016-December 2017.^[4] 84% of newly diagnosed cases in Western North Carolina indicate injection drug use (IDU).^[5]

Opioid use and overdose continue to impact our community in a number of ways. We’ve made progress but there is still work to do. We invite you to join us for a presentation and panel discussion as professionals from Buncombe County, City of Asheville, MAHEC, and Vaya provide updates on the opioid crisis in Buncombe County, including local response efforts, solutions, and next steps.

What:  Let’s Talk Opioids: Community Update and Conversation on Local Opioid Response Efforts

When:  Oct. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: U.S. Cellular Center Banquet Hall (87 Haywood Street, Asheville NC 28801) Free Parking in Civic Center Parking Deck for attendees

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6 p.m. We invite you to arrive early to visit with community leaders and service providers who will be available for conversation and information sharing prior to the event. Light refreshments will be available and free parking is available in the Civic Center Parking Deck for those who attend from 5 p.m. until the event is over.

Questions about the event can be sent to letstalk@buncombecounty.org. 

Hosted by: 

Buncombe County

City of Asheville

Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)

Vaya Health

Sources:

[1] North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, 2019. NC Opioid Action Plan Dashboard, Buncombe. Retrieved 2/22/2019 from: https://injuryfreenc.shinyapps.io/OpioidActionPlan/

[2] North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, 2019. NC Opioid Action Plan Dashboard, Buncombe. Retrieved 2/22/2019 from: https://injuryfreenc.shinyapps.io/OpioidActionPlan/

[3] North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, 2019. NC Opioid Action Plan Dashboard, Buncombe. Retrieved 9/5/2019 from: https://injuryfreenc.shinyapps.io/OpioidActionPlan/

[4] North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. 2017 North Carolina HIV/STD/Hepatitis Surveillance Report. North Carolina Division of Public Health, September 2018, 42.

[5] Individual and network factors associated with prevalent hepatitis C infection among rural Appalachian injection drug users, 2013. American Journal of Public Health, 103(1), e44-e52.