The drug overdose death crisis in the United States has expanded and worsened over time, and is estimated to account for nearly 841,000 deaths since 1999 (CDC, 2021; Mattson et al., 2021). Opioids have contributed to significant increases in overdose deaths, starting in 1999 with prescription opioids and followed by waves involving heroin and then synthetic opioids (CDC, n.d.). While synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) continue to play a major role in overdose deaths, recent years have seen a significant increase in deaths involving stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine (Mattson et al., 2021). Data have also shown widening disparities in overdose deaths by race and ethnicity. For example, stimulant-involved overdose deaths have increased faster among Black/African American and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations compared to all other racial/ethnic groups (Kariisa et al., 2021). In addition, the opioid overdose death rate for Black/African American individuals increased by 38% from 2018 to 2019 in four U.S. states, while the rates for other racial/ethnic groups decreased or stayed the same in those same four states (Larochelle et al., 2021).
Population of Focus: Multiple populations
Links to Resources:
- Read the brief about Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders by Race and Ethnicity
- Learn more about Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)
- Learn more about overdose disparities
- Read more about Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders
- Read more about Overdose Prevention Strategies
Date: 2024