CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To combat the opioid epidemic in North Carolina, all ABC spirit stores across Mecklenburg County will now carry a life saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, the Mecklenburg County ABC Board said.
To help curb the ongoing epidemic, the Mecklenburg County ABC Board announced March 6 they were equipping their law enforcement officers and retail staff with Naloxone, also known as Narcan. They’ll be training them how to use it, too.
“We are more than a retail operation—we are a community partner,” Keva Walton, chief executive officer of Mecklenburg County ABC Board, said. “This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering a safer Mecklenburg County by expanding access to life-saving resources and supporting community-wide efforts to prevent opioid-related tragedies.”
The latest integration, according to Sgt. Lamar Riley with Mecklenburg County's ABC Board Law Enforcement, is timely given the recent changes in the drugs he’s been seeing on the job.
“Initially, it was marijuana and you will see some other hard drugs like cocaine and things of that nature. Now you have to be more aware of what you’re doing when you’re searching people’s cars,” Riley said.
The shift reflects the ongoing opioid epidemic in North Carolina, as the North Carolina department of Health and Human Services reveals over 4,400 overdose-related deaths were reported in 2023.
It’s why the ABC board has partnered with Mecklenburg County Public Health and Queen City Harm Reduction to provide kits and training, as increasing access to the medication has proven effective in reducing opioid related deaths, something Riley has seen firsthand.
“We had an incident where we had arrested someone and this person needed aid and so we ended up having to administer the Narcan for him, saved his life,” Riley said.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also offers Naloxone at many of their syringe service programs.
To find your nearest access point, you can visit their website. Those needing help with substance abuse can visit this website.
