Alcohol and Drug Use Statistics in Gastonia, NC
In 2020, the opioid dispensing rate in Gaston County was 65.9 per 100 persons.2
In 2020, the Gaston Police Department investigated 49 overdoses, with 20 of those resulting in death.4
Fatal overdoses in Gaston County increased by 53% from 2020 to 2021.3
Between January and June 2022, the Gaston Police Department investigated 98 overdoses, with 14 overdoses resulting in death.4
There were 83 drug overdose deaths in Gaston County during the 12-month period ending March 2022.1
Gaston County police made a total of 964 drug-related arrests in 2020.5
Gaston County experienced 377 emergency department visits due to drug overdose in 2021.6
For the period 2017-2019, more than 94% of emergency department visits related to opioid overdose in Gaston County were people who identified as white.6
Traveling to and Within Gastonia, NC
Will you be traveling for addiction treatment in Gastonia, NC, or visiting a loved one undergoing treatment at a Gastonia drug and alcohol rehab? If so, use these helpful tips to guide your travel plans:
- For flights to Gastonia, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is just 10 miles away.
- Gastonia City Bus service offers routes throughout the city. Fares are $1.25 ($0.60 for seniors and those with disabilities). Buses run 5:30 am-6:30 pm M-F and 8 am-6 pm Saturdays.
- While Gastonia is not considered bikeable or walkable, rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft are readily available to get around town by car.
- A must-see in Gastonia is the city’s Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.
- Great Day trip options from Gastonia include Lake Wylie, Charlotte, and the Biltmore Estate (Asheville).
Resources
- Provisional County drug overdose deaths. (2022, October 11). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/prov-county-drug-overdose.htm
- S. County Opioid Dispensing Rates, 2020. (2022, October 7). CDC Injury Center. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/rxrate-maps/county2020.html
- Opioids. (n.d.). Gaston County, NC. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.gastongov.com/956/Opioids
- Goodale, R. (n.d.). City of gastonia and gastonia PD launch campaign to fight fentanyl abuse; combined effort with other agencies to break the cycle of addiction. City of Gastonia. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.cityofgastonia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1865
- Hicks, C. (2021, March 24). Gaston Co. recovery court program offers low-level drug offenders treatment instead of incarceration. WBTV. https://www.wbtv.com/2021/03/24/gaston-co-recovery-court-program-offers-low-level-drug-offenders-treatment-instead-incarceration/
- Niu, J. (2021). Gaston County Community Health Assessment. Caro Regional Medical Center and Gaston County Public Health. https://www.gastongov.com/DocumentCenter/View/3394/2021-Gaston-County-Community-Health-Assessment-PDF?bidId=
