On Wednesday, Gov. McMaster spoke at a two-day summit on the growing problem of opioid abuse in S.C. – stressing that the state needs to control the drug crisis before it negatively impacts the growing workforce + economy.
Here are some stats behind S.C.’s opioid use + its fatal consequences:
550 | total deaths in S.C. from opioid-related causes in 2016
18% | increase in opioid-related deaths from 2014 to 2016
101 | opioid-related deaths in 2016 in Horry County – the most in any S.C. county
65 | number of Charleston County residents lost to opioid overdoses in 2016
42 | number of Richland County residents lost to opioid overdoses in 2016
Also on the rise? The administration of Narcan, an anti-overdose medication, given by first responders:
4,600 | doses in S.C. in 2015
6,400 | doses in S.C. in 2016
1,043 | doses in Horry County in 2016 – the most in any S.C. county
721 | doses in Greenville County in 2016
85 | doses in Richland County in 2016 – down from 147 in 2014
According to Spartanburg County coroner Rusty Clevenger, opioid deaths have been down this year, but Narcan administration has been up.
