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Public health officials flag youth depression, vaping and rising unsheltered counts in Durham County reports
Summary
Durham County public health presented 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data showing elevated depressive symptoms and vaping among high-school students and a State of the County Health report that reported a 123% increase in unsheltered people since 2020 and $11.6 million in opioid resettlement funds allocated over 18 years.
Durham County public-health officials presented two linked reports to the county commissioners: results from the spring 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2024 State of the County Health report.
Savannah Carrico, a public health epidemiologist, said Durham was oversampled in 2023 with "over 2,000 kids participating," and explained why the YRBS metric for depressive symptoms matters: "In the past 12 months, have you felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks in a row or more that you stopped doing some usual activities?" Carrico said students reporting those symptoms were significantly more likely to consider suicide, to make a suicide plan and to report recent alcohol or marijuana use; she noted that high-school vaping remained common (about 30 percent) while middle-school vaping declined.
Staff emphasized data limitations and upcoming changes: Carrico noted that the 2025 YRBS will use an opt‑in parental consent model (rather than opt‑out), which the presenters said will change the demographic makeup of respondents and limit direct comparability to prior years.
Bria (Bridal) Miller and Marissa Mortaboy presented the State of the County Health, summarizing priorities identified in the community health assessment: affordable housing, access to care, community safety and mental health, among others. The report cited a county population of 329,405 (a 3.7% increase since 2020) and said the unsheltered count rose 123% since 2020 with 158 people counted unsheltered in the 2024 point-in-time count. The report also said Durham County is slated to receive $11,600,000 in opioid resettlement funds over an 18‑year period to support treatment, recovery services and recovery housing.
Commissioners asked for trend reports, deeper breakdowns by race and follow-ups on infant mortality, food security and youth access to firearms. Public health staff pointed to partnerships (Born in Durham, Healthy for Life), the county's investments in food‑security programs, and ongoing gun-safety outreach (distribution of gun locks and the firearm injury prevention partnership). Staff also described outreach to schools and the availability of online infographics and public-facing summaries for the YRBS.
