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.

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

Suspected Overdose Deaths

There were 178 suspected overdose deaths in February 2026 compared to 226 in February 2025.

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Fentanyl-Positive Deaths

There were 85 fentanyl-positive deaths in January 2026 compared to 125 in January 2025. 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 666 overdose ED visits in February 2026 involving medication or drugs with dependency potential compared to 861 in February 2025.

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