Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – A recent study led by researchers at Penn State University sheds light on the shifting demographic characteristics of individuals who died of drug overdoses in the United States between 2012 and 2021. The researchers utilized data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide‐ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) to analyze this troubling trend.
This study, led by Abenaa Jones, assistant professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, highlighted a significant change in the overdose death rates between Black and white individuals. Previously, the opioid overdose crisis in the U.S. was predominantly affecting young, white, and rural populations. However, the study reveals that older Black adults are now facing increased overdose death rates, surpassing those of white individuals.
Throughout the past decade, overdose death rates rose for individuals of all ages, with a particularly notable increase among older Black adults. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this crisis, with overdose death rates spiking across the nation. States like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota saw stark racial disparities, with older Black adults being five times more likely to die of a drug overdose compared to their white counterparts.
Shashim Waghmare, a graduate student in health policy administration at Penn State and co-author of the study, emphasized the urgent need for tailored interventions and resources to address the escalating substance use disparities. The research underscores the critical importance of providing culturally competent support to mitigate the devastating impact of drug overdoses, especially among older Black adults.
The authors of the study emphasized the necessity for immediate, targeted action to address the overdose crisis facing the nation. Jones highlighted the effectiveness of Naloxone, also known as NARCAN, in reducing deaths among individuals using opioids. However, the distribution of Naloxone to older Black adults could potentially save lives, particularly in cases where individuals unknowingly consume opioids, such as when fentanyl is mixed with other substances like cocaine.
While the WONDER data did not offer specific reasons for the increased overdose deaths, the researchers pointed to various factors contributing to this concerning trend. Moving forward, greater awareness, understanding, and policy measures are crucial to reversing this distressing trajectory and ultimately saving lives in communities impacted by drug overdoses.