What is the legitimacy of the "opioid epidemic" in Wilmington? (Southport: crime)

[jtcandsg]

My family may have an opportunity to move to the Wilmington, NC area. It was sprung upon as rather suddenly and so we are trying to do all the research that we can regarding the area.

One item I came across is that a study completed this past fall has placed Wilmington as the #1 city in the US for opioid abuse. Once I found the study, I found a number of other articles and TV broadcasts sighting the seriousness of this issue in Wilmington and many other parts of North Carolina.

For those who have lived in the area, is this problem something that is prevalent no matter where you live? Are there certain areas where it's less of an issue? Does it impact every day life? I realize this sounds very over-reactive, and I probably wouldn't bat an eye if we didn't have kids, but given that we do, I am very concerned with not making the wrong decision for them in terms of a place to grow up.

We have always lived in major metro areas where there are certainly problems with crime and drugs, but the cities are big enough that certain suburbs can be extremely isolated from issues like this - sheltered in a sense.

It seems like a beautiful part of the state and we're certainly considering it strongly, but this study (11.6% of Wilmington residents have an opioid addiction) really has us concerned.

Any feedback would be great - specifically which if any areas are most isolated from such issues. We'd probably be spending in the area of $400K on a home.

[BC1960]

I don't think you will be impacted. I live in Southport, about 30 minutes from Wilmington, I spend a fair amount of time in Wilmington, and I have several family members and friends in Wilmington. Neither I, nor anyone I know, has been impacted directly by this issue. I wouldn't worry much about it.

[ChocoTaco369]

This is probably the article you are referring to.

Study - Wilmington No. 1 in opioid abuse - News - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC

That certainly is not good. Drug problems are widespread in the South, particularly the rural South. My girlfriend is a PA, and let me tell you, doctors give these things out like candy. It is so irresponsible it is ridiculous. These drugs should be reserved for only the most severe pain, but most doctors will prescribe them for mild discomfort. We are consistently disgusted by the actions of docs that hand out antibiotics and painkillers without batting an eye.

That being said, any time I've visited Wilmington it is a beautiful city. In any cluster of people there is going to be higher rates of crime and drug use, but I can tell you the difference between the quality of Wilmington versus the cities where I live (Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore) is night and day. Much nicer people, much cleaner and it certainly feels safe provided you are in the "right" areas.

The best ways to stay safe are to stay employed and keep good quality friends. People tend to mimic the company they keep, so surround yourself with successful people and you'll tend to become successful. Too much idle time spent hanging around others with too much idle time is usually a gateway to problems.