Opioid crisis hits Richland County worst as death toll in SC increases, officials say

The number of people who died in South Carolina after overdosing on opioids increased again in 2017, marking the third year of a steadily increasing death toll, according to a statement from S.C.’s Opioid Emergency Response Team.

Overall, South Carolina saw 748 opioid deaths in 2017, according to the statement. That number reflects a 47 percent increase from 2014.

“This new data demonstrates the devastating effects that the opioid crisis continues to have on our state,” S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said in the statement.

The number of fentanyl-overdose deaths in the Palmetto State more than quadrupled from 2014 to 2017, with a total of 362 fatal overdoes last year, according to data from the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

That number is consistent with an overall nationwide trend. From 2014 to 2016, fentanyl deaths increased 540 percent across the U.S., according to a New York Times article.

Other drugs saw increases in fatalities, though the change isn’t as dramatic.

Overdoses on prescription drugs rose from 572 deaths in 2014 to 748 last year, according to DHEC’s data. Fatal heroin overdoses more than doubled, increasing from 57 to 144 in the past four years.

Richland County, Greenville and Charleston were affected the most by the increasing popularity of opioids, according to the statement.

Methadone deaths are the only decreasing statistic, according to the statement. Only 45 people died from methadone use in 2017, while 79 died in 2014.

Though Horry County bore the brunt of opioid deaths before, the death toll in the Lowcountry decreased by 24 percent in 2017, according to the statement.

Officials pushed for increasing use of overdose-stopping drugs to battle the spreading opioid epidemic, according to the statement.

“Increasing the availability of the anti-overdose drug naloxone and ensuring the availability of a full spectrum of resources — from prevention to treatment to recovery support — are essential to decreasing the number of opioid overdose deaths in our state,” said Sara Goldsby, the director of the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services.

Naloxone — which stops overdoses by blocking the effects of opioids — is more commonly known by its brand name Narcan.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department provides its deputies with Narcan.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 3:05 PM.