Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comment
. 2021 Mar;116(3):686-687.
doi: 10.1111/add.15362. Epub 2021 Jan 8.

Commentary on Furr-Holden et al. : As opioid overdose deaths accelerate among Black Americans, COVID-19 widens inequities-a critical need to invest in community-based approaches

Affiliations
Comment

Commentary on Furr-Holden et al. : As opioid overdose deaths accelerate among Black Americans, COVID-19 widens inequities-a critical need to invest in community-based approaches

Devin E Banks et al. Addiction. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated racial inequities in fatal opioid overdoses affecting Black Americans. To reduce overdose rates among Black Americans, funding and policy efforts should prioritize local strategies that build community trust, such as grassroots organizations already engaged in outreach, advocacy, and harm reduction services.

Keywords: Black Americans; COVID-19; health disparities; healthy equity; opioids; overdose.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests: none

Comment on

References

    1. Stephenson J. Drug overdose deaths head toward record number in 2020, CDC warns. JAMA Health Forum. 2020;1(10):e201318–e. - PubMed
    1. Furr-Holden D, Milam AJ, Wang L, Sadler R. African Americans now outpace whites in opioid-involved overdose deaths: a comparison of temporal trends from 1999 to 2018. Addiction. 2020. - PubMed
    1. Lippold K, Ali B. Racial/ethnic differences in opioid-involved overdose deaths across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the United States, 1999–2017. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020;212:108059. - PubMed
    1. Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts [Internet]. Data Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death 1999-2018. 2020. [cited November 10, 2020]. Available from: https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/opioid-overdose-deaths-by-race....
    1. Yancy CW. COVID-19 and African Americans. JAMA. 2020;323(19):1891–2. - PubMed

Publication types