Analysis of Deaths Records Shows Growing Disparities in Opioid Epidemic

A new study from the National Institutes of Health examined drug overdose death trends through death certificate data over the last decade and found an increase in racial disparities among overdose deaths and an increase in stimulant use. The study found that opioid/stimulant deaths among Black Americans have risen at more than three times the rate seen among non-Hispanic white people, especially in eastern States. In other parts of the country, there’s also been a disproportionate increase in combination overdose deaths among Hispanic and Asian Americans.