11/03/2026
BE AWARE!!! Check on you people!!
Don’t use alone… keep Narcan close by but don’t rely on it… whatever is going on now is happening right here in our county…
We just left a call as we speak.. remember to call for help… reach out if you’re ready for a chat about next steps… we have many resources available with Peer support navigation… we got you!
⚠️ Overdose Warning: Sudden Spike in Overdose Calls Across Catawba County
At least three suspected overdoses came across emergency radio traffic in about an hour Monday evening.
HICKORY, N.C. (11/02/2026 6:00 PM) — Suspected overdose calls have jumped across Catawba County today, with at least three coming over emergency radio traffic in roughly the last hour alone.
That's well above what we normally hear. Official numbers have not been released, and what's behind the spike isn't known yet.
When overdoses cluster like this, it can mean a stronger batch of fentanyl, or something mixed into it, is moving through the area. Street drugs have no quality control. The same amount someone has always used can hit much harder.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE TONIGHT
We're not here to judge anybody. We want you alive tomorrow.
Obviously, don’t use is the best advice, but if you are going to use, please use less than you normally would.
Don't use alone. If you have to, call the Never Use Alone line at 1-800-484-3731. Someone stays on the phone with you and sends EMS to your location if you stop responding.
Keep Narcan within reach, and make sure the person with you knows how to use it. You can't give it to yourself.
Mixing opioids with alcohol or pills like Xanax makes an overdose more likely.
IF SOMEONE OVERDOSES
Watch for slow or stopped breathing, blue or gray lips, tiny pupils, gurgling or snoring sounds, or not waking up when you shout or rub their chest.
Call 911. Give Narcan, one spray in one nostril. If there's no response in two to three minutes, give a second dose in the other nostril. Lay them on their side and stay with them until help arrives.
Call 911 even if Narcan works. It can wear off before the drugs do.
A veterinary sedative called medetomidine has turned up in North Carolina's street drug supply, usually mixed with fentanyl. Narcan doesn't reverse it, so a person may start breathing again but stay knocked out. That doesn't mean Narcan failed. Give it anyway and stay with them.
North Carolina's Good Samaritan law protects both the caller and the person who overdosed from charges for having small amounts of drugs or paraphernalia when someone calls 911 for help. It also bars probation or parole from being revoked over those same charges. The caller has to give their name. Don't let fear of arrest stop you from calling 911.
WHERE TO GET FREE NARCAN
Points of HOPE (Olive Branch Ministry), 3730 N. Center St., Hickory. Call or text 828-291-7023 for free naloxone, fentanyl test strips and help getting into treatment.
A free 24-hour Narcan vending machine sits outside Catawba Valley Healthcare, 205 Morgan St. SE in Valdese.
Pharmacists can also give you naloxone without a prescription under a statewide standing order. It isn't free at the pharmacy, but most insurance covers it.
WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR HELP
SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open 24/7. You can also call or text 988.
We know some people don't like posts like this. We're going to keep running them. Death is the only thing that permanently ends someone's chance at recovery. Getting through one more day means there’s still a chance at recovery and redemption.
This is a developing situation. We'll add updates in the comments as we learn more.
Save this post so the Narcan locations are handy, and share it so it reaches people who need it tonight. Follow Catawba Valley News & Weather for updates.
