The Injury and Violence Prevention Branch of the Division of Public Health (IVPB) recently posted an update of suspected overdose deaths, fentanyl-positive deaths, and provisional data on Emergency Department (ED) visits for overdose reports.

The IVPB would like to alert partners to an upward trend. Both fatal and non-fatal overdose indicators are slowly increasing in 2025. While the increases are not large and numbers are still lower than the same time last year, they do come after over a year of steady decreases. 

For information on overdose prevention strategies and resources, please visit NaloxoneSaves-nc.org. Please note this web address has changed.

For information on syringe service programs in your area or how to access naloxone and harm reduction services, please visit the NC Safer Syringe Initiative website.

Suspected Overdose Deaths

There were 261 suspected overdose deaths in May 2025 compared to 278 in May 2024.

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Fentanyl-Positive Deaths

There were 160 fentanyl-positive deaths in March 2025 compared to 189 in March 2024. Please note that due to the time needed to finalize toxicology results, this report is three months behind the other reports shared in this update.

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Overdose Involving Medication or Drugs with Dependency Potential

There were 954 overdose ED visits in May 2025 involving medication or drugs with dependency potential compared to 1,146 in May 2024.

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