ELON, N.C. – The most recent Elon University Poll has found that about one in three in North Carolina say they have been personally affected by the opioid addiction crisis or “they have someone close to them who has been.”
The survey, conducted on 771 NC registered voters November 6-9, 2017, shows that the crisis touched 31% of respondents or their friends and family, while 67% said they had not been impacted.
“Our data clearly show that North Carolina voters see opioid abuse as a significant issue worthy of attention,” said Jason Husser, director of the Elon Poll and assistant professor of political science.
According to Husser, Whites, mean, Millenials and residents of suburban counties are most likely to have been impacted by the crisis.
60% of respondents pointed to the abuse of prescription drugs as the larger problem than the use of illegal opioids, the poll found.
Another focus of the poll was how communities are responding to the crisis and what resources are available to address the crisis.
42.% percent of responders said their communities do not have resources, while 28.5% said they did.
56% said that addressing the matter and illegal use of prescription drugs should be dealt with by doctors, while 21% said the criminal justice system should be the main way to address the issue.
Asked about the amount of attention the use of opioids is receiving, 45% said it’s too little, 39% it’s receiving the right amount, while 11% said it’s receiving too much attention.
The full report and methodology is available online.
The poll is the second round of results from the most recent poll focused on opinions about the opioid addiction crisis in North Carolina.