BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Recent data shows Buncombe County has the fifth-highest fentanyl death rate in the state. However, leaders with the county’s health department argue that the number of deaths has been decreasing in recent years.
Each month, the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (NC-OCME) lists counties with the 10 highest fentanyl-positive death rates.
Buncombe County has climbed the list in recent months. The latest report, which shows data from April 2025 through March 2026, ranks Buncombe County fifth-highest in the state per 100,000 residents. According to the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, data in the report was updated in June 2026.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY TO RECEIVE $29 MILLION FROM DRUG SETTLEMENTS. WHERE DOES IT GO?…