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Spike in drug overdoses in NC, SC leads to rise in organ donations

The surge in drug overdoses across the Carolinas has led to a rise in potentially lifesaving organ donations.

A report from the United Network for Organ Sharing shows that 225 North Carolina residents who died from drug intoxication donated organs over the last 30 years. According to the report, 40 percent of those donations happened in the last two years.

In 2017, there were 49 organ donors from North Carolina who died from a drug overdose, up from 40 in 2016.

There was a similar increase in South Carolina and nationwide.

In 2017, there were 17 organ donors who died from an overdose in South Carolina, up from 13 in 2016.

Nationwide, 1,369 organ donations came from people who died of an overdose, compared to 1,263 in 2016.

Officials said overdoses generally result in respiratory failure and don’t necessarily damage the organs, so some victims are candidates for transplants.

On Monday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new wave of funding to expand opioid treatment programs in the state.

Cooper is also pushing the President Donald Trump's administration to extend the president's public health emergency declaration on opioids, which expires Tuesday.

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