Chief Justice Mark Martin announced today that he has accepted an invitation to join the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI). The RJOI is a working group of regional state court officials that was created to develop multi-state solutions and best practices for addressing the nationwide opioid addiction crisis.

"Rising opioid addiction is a grave issue that has serious implications for our criminal justice system," said Chief Justice Martin. "I look forward to working with my colleagues in other states to develop comprehensive judicial solutions as we assist our states in efforts to prevent and combat addiction."

Drug overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 1,500 North Carolinians in 2015. Prescription opioids were responsible for about half of those deaths. Among other negative effects, opioid addiction can serve as a gateway to heroin use, as demonstrated by North Carolina's 884% increase in heroin-related deaths since 2010.

Chief Justice Martin recently served as co-chair of the Governor's Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use to develop recommendations in North Carolina for improving the lives of youth and adults with mental illness and substance use disorders, and their families.