North Carolina Priority Topic Investments
Click on any of the tabs below to learn more about each topic.
North Carolina Overdose Investment Snapshot
Combatting the current overdose crisis is a priority for the agency. This page provides an overview of the FY22 CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) overdose investments for the state of North Carolina.
There were 106,699 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 (32.4 deaths per 100,000 standard population), a 16% increase from 2020. Approximately 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved at least one opioid; 66% of deaths involved synthetic opioids (e.g., illicitly manufactured fentanyls). Drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids increased 25%, deaths involving psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) increased 37%, and deaths involving cocaine increased 26% from 2020 to 2021. Although deaths increased overall and in all drug categories except heroin, the increases from 2020 to 2021 were generally lower than those from 2019 to 2020, suggesting a slowing of the increase in overdose deaths.
In 2021 in North Carolina there were:
3,981
overdose deaths
39.2
overdose deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted)
Source: NVSS – Drug Overdose Deaths
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Overdose Data to Action (OD2A)
Public Health and Public Safety
Research
*average award amount |
Examples of How North Carolina Is Working to Prevent Overdose
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Syringe Service Program (SSP) education
North Carolina partnered with local and national organizations in Appalachia to create leadership development and non-profit management training opportunities for people involved in syringe services programs. North Carolina awarded 13 scholarships, enhancing public health capacity within the state. |
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Mini grants for justice-involved organizations
North Carolina funded 18 organizations serving justice-involved individuals with a substance use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic to implement pre-arrest/pre-trial diversion programs and/or re-entry/linkage-to-care programs. |
CDC Overdose Prevention Strategies
CDC’s Injury Center plays a critical role in addressing the drug overdose epidemic by driving progress in the five strategic priorities that guide CDC’s response framework for preventing overdoses.
Strategic Priorities Overview
Monitor, Analyze, and Communicate Trends
Build State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Capacity
Support Providers, Health Systems, Payors, and Employers
Partner with Public Safety and Community Organizations
Raise Public Awareness and Reduce Stigma
Additional Resources
1 Spencer MR, Miniño AM, Warner M. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 2001–2021. NCHS Data Brief, no 457. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2022. DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.15620/cdc:122556
North Carolina Suicide Prevention Investment Snapshot
Preventing suicide is a priority for the agency. This page provides an overview of the FY22 CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) suicide prevention investments for the state of North Carolina.
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for more than 48,000 deaths in 2021, which is about one death every 11 minutes. The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2021, 12.3 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.7 million attempted suicide.
In 2021 in North Carolina there were:
1,448
suicide deaths
13.2
suicide deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted)
Source: Suicide Rates by State (cdc.gov)
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Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
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North Carolina is preventing suicide with CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) funding by:
- Strengthening access and delivery of suicide care
- Creating protective environments
- Identifying and supporting people at risk
Some groups have higher rates of suicide than others. To address disparities, North Carolina is focusing on:
- Males
- People living in rural counties
- Veterans
- Youth and young adults ages 10-18 years
This snapshot reflects suicide prevention priorities and activities under Year 1 funding of the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention (CSP) Program. This information is subject to change. For additional information, please see CSP: Program Profiles.
Examples of How North Carolina Is Working to Prevent Suicide
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Suicide Prevention Academy
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services created and is running a Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Academy to train community providers to identify individuals at risk, prevent suicide, and build prevention capacity with partners to save lives. |
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Virtual identification of risk
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services plans to promote use of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention guide to screen for risk of suicide during telemental health visits. Using the guide consistently could help with early identification of those at risk for suicide, thus making telehealth an even more effective tool in suicide prevention. |
CDC Suicide Prevention Strategies
Suicide is preventable and there is no single cause, so prevention requires addressing the multiple factors linked to suicide at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. As such, CDC is leading a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Such an approach aims to prevent people from becoming suicidal in the first place and support people at increased risk. CDC uses near real-time data to track and monitor suicide trends, research possible risks and what works to prevent them, and help communities put proven suicide prevention strategies into place.
CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action outlines seven strategies that are based on the best available evidence to help communities and states focus on prevention activities with the greatest potential to prevent suicide.
Strengthen economic supports
Create protective environments
Improve access and delivery of suicide care
Promote healthy connections
Teach coping and problem-solving skills
Identify and support people at risk
Lessen harms and prevent future risk