SALISBURY — As of late last year, Rowan County was in the top five counties in the state for opioid addiction and overdose problems.

Rowan County Emergency Medical Services responded to nearly 300 calls in 2016 in which the overdose reversal drug Narcan was used.

Over the past year and as recent as the past few months, the number has been on the decline.

In the first quarter of 2017, Rowan EMS used Narcan 90 times, compared to 129 times in the latter part of the year. From January to March 20 this year, EMS personnel have administered the overdose reversal drug 76 times.

The reduction can be interpreted in a number of ways, said EMS Division Chief Lennie Cooper.

“The most positive interpretation would be that overdose rates have dropped. However, it could also have decreased due to the availability and use of Narcan kits to and by the public,” he said.

Cooper went on to say that in some cases, multiple doses of Narcan are required. If fewer of those incidents occurred, there would be an overall reduction in usage.

It’s been estimated that 142 Americans will die every day from a drug overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the past few years, heroin has become the go-to drug in Rowan County. It’s simply more accessible and cheaper than other drugs. And for many users, heroin is an alternative to prescription painkillers.

“I would suggest that the reduction in Narcan administration by EMS is a combination of these factors. We have no indication that the ‘crisis’ has passed and are forecasting at minimum the same level of Narcan use with the possibility that it will increase,” Cooper said.

Local ER Dr. John Bream recently said he believes the decline is due in part to the steps that local, state and national officials have taken to combat the problem.

In the summer 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper signed the Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act into law, which regulates prescriptions for narcotic medications and makes it harder for people who abuse medications to “doctor shop” with medical practitioners.

Local law enforcement have cracked down on drug dealers who sell heroin and other opioids, while the ER has begun to educate its patients about the effects of overdosing on opioids.

Responders and medical professionals are hopeful the situation will continue to improve.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.