Study Shows Black and Brown Communities Suffered From Drug Overdose Deaths the Most During the Pandemic

A study says that Black and Brown communities in the United States have had the highest number of drug overdose death rates during the pandemic.

A study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Joseph Friedman and Dr. Helena Hansen looked at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that detailed drug overdose deaths between 1999 and 2020. The study also included information from the Prevention’s WONDER database and the National Center for Health Statistics.

The data showed American Indians or Alaska Natives had the highest rate of overdose deaths at 41.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. Black people were second 36.8 overdose deaths per 100,000, CNN Health reports. Hispanic or Latino people had the lowers with 17.3 per 100,000 in 2020. White people had 31.6 overdose deaths per 100,000. Overall, all racial and ethnic groups had an increase in drug overdoses.

“Drug overdose mortality is increasingly becoming a racial justice issue in the US,” wrote the study authors, CNN Health reports. “Our results suggest that drug overdose mortality has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.”