Media Coverage Archives - Page 7 of 44 - Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina

Local advocate encouraged by recent discussions by county leadership on opioid addiction

Read the original article and view the pictures on the Davidson Local website.

Mike Loomis, founder of Race Against Drugs, is having one of the best weeks of his life four years after the worst day of his life.

Loomis and his wife lost their son, James, to fentanyl poisoning in April 2021. Since that day, they have been channeling their pain, anger and frustration into educating people on the dangers of opioid addiction, supporting those in need of recovery and advocating for public access of naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan.

Loomis has been an ever-present fixture at the Davidson County Opioid Settlement Funds committee, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, the Davidson County Board of Education meetings and other events. He has been vocal about the need for access to Narcan in the community, including in the schools.

He says it has been an uphill battle, but this week he feels he has made some significant progress with county leadership.

“It’s about time the county commissioners, the schools and the community have come together to provide this life-saving cog in saving lives,” said Loomis.

On Monday, the Davidson County Schools Board of Education approved a new policy for the use of naloxone in emergency situations to prevent opioid overdose death. The proposed policy states each school in the district should have an adequate supply stored in a secure, yet accessible location. The policy includes training one or more employee at each school as part of the medical care program in the emergency use of Narcan.

“I would like to thank the superintendent and the school board for considering this policy,” said Loomis. “This is only one cog in saving a life in Davidson County. Right now, we are at around 480 people in Davidson County who have died because of fentanyl. The highest growing number of deaths are from 14- to 17-year-olds; these are your students, these are your children.”

This policy will be under review for the next 30 days before final approval by the Davidson County Schools Board of Education.

Narcan has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration as safe to use for the life-saving application during a suspected opioid overdose and can be administered to anyone regardless of their age.

On Thursday, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners continued their discussion on using opioid settlement funds for supporting school programs and whether to hire a full-time coordinator to oversee the use of the opioid settlement funds.

The commissioners heard from Davidson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregg Slate about the pending Narcan policy, as well as other potential early prevention programs through the schools.

Slate said the schools are working on developing a sustainable and vetted medical source to supply Narcan, as well as, estimating costs of training. He said the district has also considered parent and caregiver education, opioid awareness and prevention programming for students, as well as professional development for staff.

“We looked a variety of different things, from the front end and the back end,” said Slate. “We’ve already started the conversation…We are trying to be on the forefront of this as far as school districts go because I think it is important.”

The commissioners voiced strong support of the new Narcan policy and asked Slate to bring back a proposal on using opioid settlement funds to purchase supplies and training staff on its use.

Due to a scheduling conflict, the superintendents from Lexington City Schools and Thomasville City Schools, could not participate in the discussion on Thursday, but are scheduled to appear at a county commissioner meeting in September.

Davidson County Manager Casey Smith said there were not a whole lot of options in the state for consultants specifically for management of opioid settlement funds, but there was a group in Asheville, the Mount Area Health Education Center, that did offer training and development of impact strategies.

The commissioners decided they would like to hear more information from the MAHEC in a future meeting before making any further decision on deciding on whether to hire a full-time coordinator or use of consultation services.

Loomis says he supports the hiring of a coordinator rather than a consultant.

“They have enough money in the (opioid settlement fund) to hire a legitimate manager. Commissioners may come and go, but a full-time coordinator will know everyone involved and what is needed for this community,” said Loomis.

To cap off this week of encouraging progress in the fight against opioid addiction, Race Against Drugs will be holding a special event on Saturday.

A Day of Recovery will be on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Breeden Insurance Amphitheater in Lexington.

The annual event includes representation from local law enforcement, the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, Daymark Recovery Services, Davidson County Medical Ministries, Davidson County Emergency Services,the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Goodwill Industries, several local churches and other non-profit organizations.

It will also include live entertainment, food trucks, play area for kids, games and door-prizes.

Loomis said he is thankful for all the support of those involved in the Day of Recovery, the county commissioners and the Davidson County Schools. He said he is encouraged with the progress made towards opioid awareness and prevention, but he has no plans to stop advocating for those touched by fentanyl addiction.

“I don’t want to be a pain in the ass to people, but I will to save a life,” said Loomis.

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Two women indicted after juvenile dies of overdose in Asheboro, sheriff’s office says

Read the original article on the WGHP website.

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Two women have been indicted after a child died by overdose, according to authorities.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office says they were called to a home in Asheboro in May about a juvenile overdose. EMS and fire personnel were already on scene performing life-saving measures when deputies arrived to assist, and the victim was taken to a hospital. The child was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigators found drug paraphernalia at the home and sought charges against the victim’s mother, Carrie Jo Graves, 36, and Amy Lee Locklear, 42.

The two women were both indicted by a grand jury in July. Graves was indicted for second-degree murder without regard, and Locklear was indicted for felony involuntary manslaughter.

On July 31, deputies traveled to Robeson and Cumberland Counties to take the two into custody.

Both Graves and Locklear were already wanted for failing to appear in Cumberland County, and Locklear had an additional arrest order for failing to appear in Robeson County.

Graves was taken into custody in Parkton without incident and transported back to Randolph County. She was given no bond.

Locklear was taken into custody in Saint Pauls and brought back to Randolph County. She was given a $362,000 secured bond for the various charges.

Business, Law Enforcement, and Fentanyl Victims Groups to President Trump: Close De Minimis Loophole Now for all Commercial Shipments to Prevent More Harm

Read the Press Release on The Coalition to Close the the De Minimis Loophole website.

NC man sentenced for fentanyl sale linked to Cary hotel overdose death

Read the original article on the Raleigh News and Observer website.

A man from Henderson was sentenced to 16 years in prison for selling fentanyl to a person who later died of an overdose in Cary. imaginima Getty Images

A North Carolina man whose distribution of fentanyl contributed to a fatal overdose in a Cary hotel has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

Keymon Leahke Cofield, 25, of Vance County pleaded guilty in April to distributing fentanyl and heroin, along with possession with intent to distribute. The investigation that led to his arrest began on June 13, 2020, when Cary police responding to a suspected overdose at a local hotel found a 35-year-old man dead with 50 bindles of suspected fentanyl and heroin, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina said.

Officials traced the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, to Cofield, who was 20 at the time. They determined he had traveled south from the small city of Henderson to Cary to sell drugs. An undercover investigation that summer culminated in Cofield’s arrest. Authorities seized 651 bindles of suspected fentanyl and heroin, and a search of Cofield’s phone showed photos of firearms and large amounts of cash.

The Department of Justice listed Cofield’s nicknames as “Keymoney” and “Boi Fat.”

Cary and North Carolina overall have seen increases in opioid incidents this century. Statewide, opioid overdose fatalities rose 800% between 1999 and 2016 — from around 100 deaths to 1,300. Cary reported 11 on-the-scene opioid overdose deaths in 2017 and the same number in 2020, the year of Cofield’s arrest. In 2018, Cary launched an Opioid Wastewater Project pilot program that sought to measure opioid consumption not by overdoses but by the concentration of opioids in sewage samples. Ten locations around the town of 170,000 were selected.

Town officials sought a new gauge for opioid use after observing deliveries of Narcan — a medication that can reverse the impacts of opioid overdoses — exceeded actual reports of overdoses.

In 2022, Cary reported 118 opioid-related incidents, a higher total than in any of the previous five years. That year, Cary received $928,360 from the North Carolina Department of Justice as part of national settlement agreements with opioid companies.

Google to block promotion of pill presses on ads and shopping platforms

Read the article on the Partnership for Safe Medicines website.

On July 1, Google announced that it was updating its dangerous products and services policy to restrict the promotion of pill presses, encapsulating machines and components they use, such as dies, molds and stamps used to create or imprint pills. The change will affect the Google Ads and Google Shopping platforms starting in September 2025, with six weeks until full implementation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that states and tribes proposing importation programs can use “a static baseline approach for the cost-savings analysis” instead of trying to account for changes in unpredictable markets.

ENC law enforcement trains in Morehead City on death by distribution cases

Read the original article and watch the video on the WCTI News 12 website.

Law enforcement officials from across eastern North Carolina gathered in Morehead City to enhance their understanding of death by distribution cases. Carteret County officials emphasized the importance of this training.

Officers, detectives, and deputies from Carteret and Craven counties convened at the Morehead City Police Department to stay informed on trends and strategies for handling these cases. Sheriff Asa Buck highlighted the local efforts to strengthen their approach since the introduction of the new law in 2019.

“For the past couple of years one of my detectives, Corey Bishop, and Assistant District Attorney David Spence have been putting on this training session — not just here in our county, but across the state in various trainings, homicide investigator events, and other conferences as well,” said Sheriff Buck.

Since 2020, the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office has charged 30 individuals under the death by distribution law, leading the state in such prosecutions. Sheriff Buck and Assistant District Attorney David Spence were present to lead the training and discuss the significance of these cases.

Man arrested after 39-year-old dies from overdose in Union County, police say

Read the original article and watch the video on the WBTV3 website.

MONROE, N.C. (WBTV) – A man was arrested after a 39-year-old died from an overdose in Union County in March, according to police.

Records showed 52-year-old Fredrick Bivens was charged with death by distribution on Saturday, June 28, and given a $1 million bond.

What happened

On March 4, police said they responded to calls for an unresponsive person at a home along Broome Street in Monroe.

Upon arrival, officers said they found Jerry Deese suffering from a medical emergency, and “despite rapid intervention and lifesaving efforts,” he was pronounced dead.

His death was later determined to be the result of a drug overdose, according to police.

Investigation leads to Bivens’ arrest

After an “extensive investigation,” officers said they identified Bivens as being responsible for supplying the drugs that led to Deese’s death.

Authorities advised that shortly after identifying Bivens as a suspect, he was apprehended and placed in the Union County Detention Center.

“Let this case serve as a clear message: if you distribute deadly drugs in our community, you will be held accountable,” said Chief Rhett Bolen. “My department remains fully committed to aggressively pursuing those who profit from narcotics and ensuring they face the consequences of their actions.”

Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

Carteret County leads state in death by distribution charges

Read the original article watch the video WNCT TV9 website.

CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Carteret County has the most charges of death by distribution in the state from 2013 to June 2024, according to the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina.

The law allows officials to prosecute individuals who sell or give drugs to someone that leads to an overdose death. Carteret County has had 171 fentanyl-related deaths since 2013, according to the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina.

Barb Walsh founded The Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina after fentanyl killed her daughter in 2021. She now collects data and information from government agencies about fentanyl deaths so people can know what is happening in their counties.

“My 24-year-old daughter was killed by fentanyl in a water bottle. August 16th, 2021,” Walsh said. “She was smart. She was successful and professional. She had just gotten a promotion. She lived in Charlotte, 24 years old, and she should still be alive.”

Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck III said tackling the fentanyl crisis is a priority for his office. He said the death by distribution law has become a strong tool.

“Put yourself in the shoes of a grieving mother or father, many of whom I’ve talked with right here sitting in this office, then come back to me and tell me what you think about the death by distribution law,” Sheriff Buck said. “It’s easy for people to say how they would feel, but when it comes home to them, it’s a completely different story.”

Learn more about the Fentanyl Victims Network here.

New Report: U.S. drug overdose deaths rise again after hopeful decline

Read the original article on the NPR website.

A view of the sign of Center for Disease Control headquarters is seen in Atlanta, Georgia

For the first time in more than a year, street drug deaths appear to be rising across the U.S. according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The latest available data, compiled in January of this year, shows fatal overdoses over the previous 12-month period increased by roughly 1,400 deaths.

“This slight increase reflects historic data and suggests that the U.S. saw more overdose deaths in January 2025 than it did in January 2024,” the CDC said in a statement sent to NPR. “We are working on analyses to better understand geographic trends.”

The CDC data suggests roughly 82,138 deaths during the 12-month period ending in January 2025. That would be a significant increase from the December 2024 report, but it’s still far below the overdose crisis peak of 114,664 recorded in August 2023.

Still, after seventeen months of declines in fatal overdoses that stunned drug policy experts and an unprecedented 27 percent drop in drug deaths in 2024, some addiction researchers described this report as troubling.

Keith Humphreys, a researcher at Stanford University, said the new CDC data could be an early warning that drug death declines brought on by a number of factors, including the end of COVID pandemic disruptions and weaker fentanyl being sold on U.S. streets, could be fading.

“If we assume it’s not a blip, this makes it more likely that the sudden drop [in fatal overdoses] was a one-off event rather than a fundamental change in epidemic dynamics,” Humphreys said in an email.

Most overdose deaths in the U.S. are caused by fentanyl, but researchers who sample the street drug supply have warned of an increasingly dangerous mix of chemicals being sold by dealers, including cocaine and methamphetamines, as well veterinary tranquilizers such as medetomidine and xylazine.

“Overdose trends are not a one-way street, and there will be periodic local increases,” said Nabarun Dasgupta, who studies overdose trends at the University of North Carolina.

His analysis of the latest CDC data suggested “most of the country is still trending down in the right direction.”

According to Dasgupta, the “increase in predicted national numbers are driven primarily by upticks in Texas, Arizona, California and Washington.”