People of color seeing surge in overdose deaths at rate 3 to 5 times higher than in 2015
A spike in fentanyl overdose deaths for people of color is causing concern in their respective communities.
WRAL Data Trackers found the highest death rates among American Indian and African American populations.
Fentanyl overdoses are growing so fast in communities of color that a doctor recently asked everyone to carry Narcan in their vehicle. At a motel in Southeast Raleigh in March, an African American woman was found dead from a fentanyl overdose.
WRAL data trackers looked at overdose deaths rates per capita and found that communities of color are seeing increases three to five times higher than they were in 2015.
“Fentanyl is highly addictive," said Dr. Litita Hazel, Chief Medical Officer at Southlight. "Fentanyl is in everything.”
“It is killing us more,” Hazel said.
Southlight specializes in mental health and substance use treatment. WRAL News asked Dr. Hazel how can we draw awareness that fentanyl overdoses are impacting communities of color.
And that’s what’s happening here. People are talking about it. On a spring April day, people filled the Chavis Community Center to discuss the problem and offer solutions.
Vernon Johnson, a peer specialist at Southlight, is spreading the word about the dangers of fentanyl and how it does not discriminate.
“Fentanyl is everywhere," said Johnson. "It has an impact on every community.”
What appears to be causing an increase in overdoses is that fentanyl is in every known illegal drug.
“If people’s choice of drug is cocaine, that is what they wanted, fentanyl is in there," Hazel said. "There is no illegal drug that doesn’t have fentanyl. It is sneaky."
WRAL data trackers looked at overdose deaths rates per capita and found that communities of color are seeing increases three to five times higher than they were in 2015.
The highest occurrences are among the American Indian population as more than 83 people out of every 100,000 died from overdoses in 2020, compared to 16 people in 2015. That year, about eight Black or African American residents per population were dying from overdoses. The most recent data shows more it's three times higher than that. Meanwhile, while the rate per capita of white North Carolinians also increased, it's growing much slower than these other populations, up about 1.5 times where it was in 2015.
2020 is the most recent year for the state's data.
In Crisis Next Door, WRAL Doc unit explores the impact fentanyl has on thousands of lives of North Carolinians across the state and how the drug is destroying lives. You can watch it on WRAL's Documentary YouTube page.
