Yesterday, the North Carolina Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 189, “Fentanyl Drug Offenses and Related Changes.” The bill was filed in response to the growing number of tragedies being caused by the overdose epidemic in North Carolina. There were over 4,000 drug overdose deaths in North Carolina in 2021, the highest number of overdose deaths in a single year. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, more than 77% of those deaths likely involved fentanyl.
