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CHNA flags substance use and mental health as urgent local needs; overdose, smoking and alcohol mortality noted
Summary
The Community Health Needs Assessment presented to Wilkes County officials identified substance use and mental health among the county's most pressing problems, citing high smoking rates, rising overdose visits, and increased alcohol-related mortality.
The CHNA presentation to the board highlighted substance use and mental-health concerns as priorities for Wilkes County. Jared Belk cited a cigarette-smoking rate of about 18.6% in the county and said alcohol-related mortality has increased, noting the county's alcohol-related deaths rose from 12 per 100,000 in 2020 to a higher figure in recent years.
Belk also noted a rise in drug-overdose emergency department visits: the CHNA referenced a county rate of approximately 198.4 overdose-related ED visits per 100,000 people, higher than the state comparator cited in the slides. The assessment ranked substance use among the top community concerns reported by survey respondents.
