Racial gaps in US overdose deaths widened sharply when deaths climbed 30% from 2019 to 2020. That was a historic one-year jump. Black and Indigenous Americans saw the steepest rises, and young Black people most of all. Fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drugs drove much of the rise.
Summary: New data shows overdose deaths in the US rose 30% between 2019 and 2020. Studies show that makes opioid addiction treatment crucial. The data shows that Black and Indigenous Americans were hit far harder than others. Young Black people were hit hardest of all by the rise in overdose deaths. Fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drugs are believed to be the top cause of overdose deaths.
Some groups in the US have long been at a disadvantage. Now new data shows overdose deaths are rising fast among Black and Indigenous people in the US. They are rising far faster than in other groups.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that overdose deaths rose by 30% between 2019 and 2020. That is a massive increase.
But as they say, the devil is in the details. A closer look at the same report shows that overdose deaths hit Black and Indigenous people harder. Overdose deaths among Black people jumped by 44%.
Things are also quite bad for American Indian and Alaska Native people. In this group, overdose deaths rose by 39%.
Researchers say deaths among Indigenous and Black people outpaced deaths among white people. Overdose deaths among white people rose by about 22% in the same period. That is a significantly smaller rise.
Of course, one way to explain these gaps is the pattern of drug use. White people tend to use different drugs than Black or Indigenous Americans.
But experts say there are many reasons for these gaps. For example, one big cause of high death rates in some groups is bias in treatment.
A 30% rise in overdose deaths is already a historic mark, but there is more to it. Young Black people (15 to 24 years old) seem to have been hit worse, with an almost 86% rise in overdose deaths. That means overdose deaths nearly doubled in this group in just one year.
On top of that, overdose deaths were seven times higher in Black men older than 65 years old than in white men. That is a stunning gap.
Like many other reports, the study found the gap was widest in counties with the biggest income and social gaps. For example, where the income gap between ethnic groups was smaller, the gap in overdose deaths was smaller too.
Researchers say income gaps between racial groups seem to matter most. Lower income leads to poor housing, no health insurance, little access to treatment, and more.
Experts dug deep into the overdose death reports. They found that most people who die do not get timely treatment for drug use or overdose. For example, data shows few Black people get treatment for drug use. Only one in 12 gets any kind of treatment. The numbers were similar for other underserved groups, like Hispanic and Indigenous people.
Researchers also spotted a few other trends that matter in practice. First, most overdose deaths came from illegally made fentanyl. Even in cocaine or methamphetamine overdoses, fentanyl mixed into the drug seems to be a big problem.
So researchers say that cutting the illegal fentanyl supply is key to lowering overdose deaths in the US.
Researchers also call for wider access to drug use treatment. They want easier access to drugs like naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose. More fentanyl test strips would also help. They show which drugs contain fentanyl.
Frequently asked questions
How much did overdose deaths increase in 2020?
Drug overdose deaths in the US rose by 30% between 2019 and 2020. That comes from an analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. It is a historic one-year jump. The rise was not shared equally. Black and Indigenous Americans carried a far larger share of it than white Americans. Young Black people were hit hardest of all.
Which groups saw overdose deaths rise the most?
Overdose deaths rose 44% among Black people and 39% among American Indian and Alaska Native people. Among white people, they rose about 22%. Among young Black people aged 15 to 24, deaths rose almost 86%, nearly doubling in a single year. Black men older than 65 died of overdose at seven times the rate of white men the same age.
Why are overdose deaths higher among Black and Indigenous Americans?
Income gaps have the biggest impact. They lead to poor housing, no health insurance and little access to treatment. The gaps in overdose deaths were widest in counties with the biggest income gaps between racial groups. Treatment bias also plays a role. Only one in 12 Black people with a drug use problem gets any kind of treatment.
What drug causes the most overdose deaths?
Illegally made fentanyl. Most overdose deaths in the study came from fentanyl. It is tainting other drugs too. Even deaths from cocaine or methamphetamine often involved fentanyl. People who think they are using a different drug can take in fentanyl without knowing it. That is why cutting the illegal fentanyl supply matters so much.
How can overdose deaths be prevented?
Researchers point to four steps. Cut the illegal fentanyl supply. Expand access to drug use treatment. Make naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdose, easier to get. And put fentanyl test strips in more hands, so people can tell which drugs contain fentanyl. Timely treatment is the gap that matters most, since most people who die never got it.
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