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.

Through the continued dedication of the toxicology team and the successful implementation of the Target Drug Screen (TDS) with increased production team training, the statewide fentanyl-positive report is reducing its lag time from three months to two.

For information on overdose prevention strategies and resources, please visit NaloxoneSaves-nc.org. 

Suspected Overdose Deaths

There were 234 suspected overdose deaths in July 2025 compared to 239 in July 2024.

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Fentanyl-Positive Deaths

There were 136 fentanyl-positive deaths in June 2025 compared to 168 in June 2024. Please note that due to the time needed to finalize toxicology results, this report is one month behind the other reports shared in this update.

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Overdose Involving Medication or Drugs with Dependency Potential

There were 949 overdose ED visits in July 2025 involving medication or drugs with dependency potential compared to 1,079 in July 2024.

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