COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Tuesday the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) released its annual Drug Overdose Deaths Statistical Report for South Carolina.
The agency found that from the year 2019 to 2020, the total number of opioid-involved deaths in the Palmetto State increased by 59 percent, from 876 to 1,400. The total number of all drug overdoses increased by 53 percent across the state, from 1,131 to 1,734.
Also within a year from 2019 to 2020, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased by 105 percent in South Carolina, from 537 to 1,100, says DHEC.
Fentanyl was involved in 79 percent of all opioid-involved overdose deaths.
According to DHEC, this data was collected from death certificates that were registered with the agency's Office of Vital Statistics. It was also noted that the deaths recorded took place within the state, even if the person was not a resident of South Carolina.
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“While we cannot directly correlate these overdose deaths to the stress and emotional toll these individuals may have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic," the Public Health Director of DHEC, Dr. Brannon Traxler said in a release. "South Carolina’s overdose death data follows national trends that substance misuse has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to the Director of Prevention at the Lexington Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (LRADAC), Ashley Bodiford said the agency is seeing an increase in people seeking help, and the death from overdoses.
"The DHEC report tells us both, that some are isolated drug use, but we’re also seeing multi-use drugs in systems upon people who are overdosing," Bodiford said. "Cocaine, opioids, heroin, fentanyl, all of those are really showing us that they’re increasing in cause of overdose."
"We lost more lives than ever before to substance use," said Sara Goldsby, Director of S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS).
Goldsby said the state saw the most overdoses between the ages 25 and 55.
"We have a lot of people who are working age, who are struggling, and need help," Goldsby said. "The need is there, but we've also done a lot to educate the public that everybody who is at risk of an overdose should have Narcan around them, and somebody to administer it—in the case of an overdose."
DHEC, the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), the Opioid Emergency Response Team, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, SLED, and others are working together to prevent additional drug overdose deaths.
Anyone who needs information on how to access help, treatment, or information can contact DAODAS at 803-896-5555.
Anyone experiencing substance use issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic can call a 24/7 support line at 1-844-SC-HOPES, which is operated by DAODAS and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.