There has been a paradigm shift in how law enforcement is handling the opioid crisis in North Carolina.

According to Carrboro police captain Chris Atack, this is a shift from punishing addicts to, in some cases, saving their lives.

“I think the opioids have kind of given us a window to shift our paradigm a little bit,” said Atack. “Law enforcement can have more of a direct role in actually helping people in the medical crisis.”

Nowhere is this paradigm shift put into practice more clearly than through Coordinated Opioid Overdose Reduction Effort, or the COORE program.

The COORE program was started by Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, and it allows people with opioid addictions to walk into the sheriff’s office, put their opioids and paraphernalia into a medicine dropbox and be directly escorted to a treatment facility free of charge and without being arrested.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said arresting people with addiction is like arresting someone that suffers from obesity or other illnesses.

“We don’t imprison people for other illnesses, like heart disease,” said Stein. “In fact, we provide medical care to them. Yet, only a fraction, one out of 10 people, with addiction last year got any kind of effective treatment.”

Naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, is now commonplace among police officers in Orange County and is spreading in popularity across North Carolina. It’s part of what Emergency Medical Services operations manager Kim Woodward called a harm-reduction strategy for the opioid crisis.

She said the next step in that strategy is giving people with addiction clean needles.

“With this opioid crisis, we’re seeing a resurgence of Hepatitis C and HIV,” said Woodward. “We want folks to realize that it’s not just the overdose that we’re concerned about, it’s the other ramifications of sharing dirty needles or coming into contact with these conditions.”

Atack said that needle-exchange programs, just like naloxone, will become part of law enforcement’s method of handling the opioid crisis soon enough.

“I think when we look at this and we see syringe exchange, I think in four years everyone will be on board with that from the law enforcement prospective because we get it,” said Atack. “It’s the harm-reduction philosophy.”

This whole conversation can be heard on the WCHL Community Forum.

Related Stories
‹
April 2018 Community Forum: Opioid Epidemic
Carrboro Police Captain Chris Atack, Orange County EMS operations manager Kim Woodward and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein have all been leading efforts locally and across the state to tackle the issue. They discussed progress being made and the challenges that lie ahead on the WCHL Community Forum.
Local Government Meetings: February 9-13, 2025
This week in local government: residents in Chatham County push back against Flock license-plate cameras and AI data centers.
Orange County Communities to Observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19. Here's How it Affects Services.
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Most town offices will be closed Monday. Residential trash normally collected Monday will be collected Wednesday, Jan. 21. Curbside recycling collection will […]
Orange County Communities to Interrupt Services for December Holidays (2025)
Communities around Orange County will interrupt their normal service schedules during the upcoming winter holidays. Here’s what customers can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Town of Chapel Hill government offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Residential trash collection will not be affected. Yard trimmings will not be collected on […]
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)
Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
Labor Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County Community (2025)
Monday marks the observance of Labor Day, which is meant to celebrate the contribution of workers and employees across the United States. With that, the local governments in Orange County will be giving many of their employees the day off, which will affect certain local government services. Ahead of the holiday on Monday, September 1, […]
Orange County Arts Community Set for Uproar Festival Despite Recent Flood Damage
Orange County's Uproar Festival of Public Art returns on Aug. 1 – and it comes as the arts community recovers from catastrophic flooding.
'We Need Help': Orange County Flood Victims Beginning to Pick Up the Pieces
Orange County residents whose homes were flooded during Sunday's storm shared their emotions and what help they need in the aftermath.
Celebration of July 4 to Alter Local Government Services in Orange County
The celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what will and won’t be happening that week: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday. Residential trash pickup will not be affected. Commercial trash will […]
Memorial Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County (2025)
The observation of Memorial Day on Monday, May 26 will affect multiple local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a complete list of which services in which towns will be moved due to the holiday: Town of Chapel Hill Memorial Day is an official town holiday. Most town and other administrative offices will […]
›