The Durham County Board of Commissioners grappled with the opioid crisis, housing affordability, and property tax increases during their November 6, 2023 meeting, while also directing staff to strengthen protections for residents near blasting operations.
The most urgent crisis discussed was overdose deaths in Durham County, which have spiked to 11 deaths per day from 4 daily when the health department director started 4.5 years ago. The introduction of fentanyl into the drug supply has driven deaths from roughly 100 annually to 1,200. Wendy Jacobs expressed frustration with the pace of response, noting that the county has collected $3.2 million in opioid settlement funds but spent only $400,000 so far. Jacobs stated bluntly that "every day that we do not move forward with harm reduction we are risking lives." The health department is requesting board approval of a comprehensive harm reduction program for the next meeting, which would include a dedicated coordinator, Narcan and syringe distribution, and vending machines—with a budget exceeding $700,000. Staff committed to presenting a revised budget immediately, as Jacobs emphasized that while the county cannot stop fentanyl from entering the drug supply, "the most important thing we can do is harm reduction."
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