Introduction: Dramatic increases in U.S. drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, especially fentanyl, beginning around 2014 have driven a marked progression in overall drug overdose deaths in the U.S., which sharply rose to unprecedented levels amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Disparities in drug overdose deaths by educational attainment (EA) during the fentanyl era of the drug overdose epidemic and its intersection with the COVID-19 pandemic have not been widely scrutinized.
Methods: Utilizing restricted-use mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System and population estimates from the American Community Survey, we estimated annual national age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) from drug overdoses jointly stratified by EA and sex for adults aged 25-64 from 2015 to 2021. State-level AAMRs in 2015 and 2021 were also estimated to examine the geographic variation in the cumulative evolution of EA-related disparities over the course of the analysis period.
Results: Nationally, AAMRs rose fastest among persons with at most a high school-level education, whereas little to no change was observed for bachelor's degree holders, widening pre-existing disparities. During the analysis period, the difference in national AAMRs between persons with at most a high school-level education and bachelor's degree holders increased from less than 8-fold (2015) to approximately 13-fold (2021). The national widening of EA-related disparities accelerated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and they widened in nearly every state. Among non-bachelor's degree holders, national AAMRs increased markedly faster for males.
Conclusions: The widening disparities in drug overdose deaths by EA are a likely indicator of a rapidly increasing socioeconomic divide in drug overdose mortality more broadly. Policy strategies should address upstream socioeconomic drivers of drug use and overdose, particularly among males.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111014 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The Development of Opioid Vaccines as A Novel Strategy for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Prevention.
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic; Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects over 40 million people worldwide, creating significant social and economic burdens. Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is often considered the primary treatment approach for OUD. MOUD, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone is effective for some, but its benefits may be limited by poor adherence to treatment recommendations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"Smoking weed it gets you over the hump": Cannabis co-use as a facilitator of decreased opioid use among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles, California.
Drug Alcohol Depend Rep
September 2024
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Introduction: Opioid overdose mortality rates have surged dramatically in the last decade due largely to fentanyl in the illicit US drug supply. As of June 2024, 38 states, three territories, namely US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, allow the medical use of cannabis products. However, there remains limited qualitative community-based evidence on the role of cannabis co-use among opioid using and injecting populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStarting a Prehospital Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Program.
Prehosp Disaster Med
January 2025
Department of Emergency Medicine, Summa Health System, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Akron, OhioUSA.
Background: Over 2.7 million people have an opioid use disorder (OUD). Opioid-related deaths have steadily increased over the last decade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute zinc sulfate overdose: clinical presentation and management.
BMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Emergency Medicine Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A woman in her 40s with a history of depression, diabetes, zinc deficiency and gastric bypass surgery presented to the emergency department following the intentional ingestion of ninety 50 mg tablets of zinc sulfate. She exhibited gastrointestinal distress without systemic toxicity. Imaging revealed radiopaque tablets in the abdomen, and her management was primarily supportive, focusing on symptom control and hydration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatterns of socioeconomic marginalization and non-fatal overdose among people who use drugs: A gender-stratified repeated measures latent class analysis.
Soc Sci Med
December 2024
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada. Electronic address:
Background: While marked gender-based differences in drug-related risk and harm between men women who use drugs have been characterized to some extent, the complex relationship between gendered socioeconomic conditions, overdose risk, and drug use patterns and behaviours remains underexplored.
Methods: We conducted gender-stratified repeated measures latent class analyses (RMLCA) with data from two ongoing cohorts of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada to identify discrete subgroups based on socioeconomic exposures. Multivariable generalized estimating equations models weighted by the respective posterior membership probabilities were applied to estimate the associations between socioeconomic class membership and non-fatal overdose.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!