RALEIGH -- The opioid epidemic only continues to grow in North Carolina. According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the state has seen more than 13,000 North Carolinians die from unintentional overdose deaths since 1999. 

The president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is calling on all 100 NC counties to convene their own leadership and have an  informed discussion about what local elected officials can do to address opioid abuse in their community.  

As part of the County Leadership Forum on Opioid Abuse, boards of commissioners are asked to gather local elected officials and key stakeholders like the county manager, the local public health director, the director of social services, law enforcement officials and other leaders. They say the purpose of the meeting is to "generate ideas to reverse the deadly trend in opioid abuse."  

The NCACC prepared specific packages for each county that contain planning materials for the local leadership forum, which will be delivered to each county in June. The materials are available online.