US drug overdose mortality rose faster among hispanics than non-hispanics from 2010 to 2021

Abstract

Background: Historically, overdose mortality rates among Hispanics have been lower than non-Hispanics. The purpose of this analysis was to characterize the U.S. overdose crisis among Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics.

Methods: We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research (WONDER) platform to obtain drug overdose mortality rates per 100,000 population between 2010 and 2021 for Hispanics and non-Hispanics. We examined the relative percent change and specific drug involvement (2010-2021) and state-level disparities (2010-2020) among Hispanics versus non-Hispanics. We calculated rate ratios by state and annual percent change in total and for each specific drug. Statistical analyses were performed using R software version 4.0.3 (R Project for Statistical Computing).

Results: Nationally, from 2010 to 2021, Hispanic overdose rates rose from 5.6 to 21.7 per 100,000, an increase of 287.5 % compared to 13.5-35.1 per 100,000, an increase of 160 % among non-Hispanics. The average annual percent change was 12 % for Hispanics and 9 % for non-Hispanics. The three most common drug classes involved in overdose deaths among both groups included: Fentanyls and synthetic opioids; cocaine; and prescription opioids. Hispanic overdose rates were higher than non-Hispanic rates in New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania in 2020, versus only Michigan in 2010.

Conclusions: We observed disparities in overdose mortality growth among Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics from 2010 to 2021. These disparities highlight the urgency to develop community-centered solutions that take into consideration the social and structural inequalities that exacerbate the effects of the opioid overdose crisis on Hispanic communities.

Keywords: Cocaine; Fentanyl; Hispanic; Opioids; Overdose.

Fig. 1.

The drug-related overdose death rate for Hispanics has risen since 2015. (a) Death rate per 100,000 population for Hispanic individuals relative to non-Hispanic individuals for fentanyls and synthetic opioids and total national overdose deaths, 2010-2021. (b) Annual percent change for fentanyls and synthetic opioids and total national annual percent change, 2010-2021.

Fig. 2.

Ratio of drug-related overdose mortality per 100,000 population for Hispanic individuals relative to non-Hispanic individuals, by state, 2010-2020. Values over 1 indicate the states where the ratio of overdose rates is higher among Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics. *Some states do not have one or more of the three data points.