RALEIGH, N.C. — In North Carolina, 17 people die from overdoses every day, highlighting a serious issue in the state.
Recent warrants reveal that a Raleigh mother and her unborn baby recently died from fentanyl overdoses. This news is a stark warning for parents.
Barbara Walsh understands the dangers of fentanyl all too well; her daughter died from it in August 2021.
“It’s like a murder with no weapon,” Walsh said. “Fentanyl puts people to sleep in a dangerous way.”
Her daughter, Sophia, mistakenly drank from a bottle she thought contained water, which was actually laced with fentanyl.
Sophia was just 24 years old, a graduate of Apex High School and Appalachian State, and she had a professional job, Walsh said.
A new search warrant from Raleigh police reveals that a similar case occurred recently. A mother and her unborn baby were found dead from a suspected fentanyl overdose in southeast Raleigh.
On August 14, police were called to an apartment where the woman was found in cardiac arrest. A man at the scene reported that she had taken fentanyl and was last seen watching a movie an hour before being found unresponsive.
Despite efforts by Wake County EMS to reverse the overdose with Narcan, both the mother and her baby died.
“We’re seeing about 3,600 fentanyl-related deaths annually, and the numbers keep rising,” Walsh said.
The state medical examiner reported 193 fentanyl-related deaths in North Carolina just in May. However, yearly totals show some decrease: 3,354 deaths in 2022, 3,341 in 2023, and 1,008 so far in 2024.
During International Overdose Awareness Week, Walsh hopes to raise awareness among parents about the risks of fentanyl. The drug is odorless and tasteless, and it’s often found in pills, vapes, or drinks that are not from a licensed pharmacist.
“Right now, 7 out of 10 pills not from a pharmacist contain fentanyl,” Walsh warned. “Most people don’t realize it’s in their pills or drinks.”