While the number of overdose deaths rose 30% in the overall population of the United States in 2019 and 2020, the rate of increase in the non-Hispanic Black and Native-American communities was disproportionately higher at 44% and 39%, respectively, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday finds.
The study found that the rate of death for white people among the almost 92,000 overdose victims increased 22% from 2019-20, while the rate for Black people increased 44% and 39% for Native Americans and Pacific Islanders during the same period.
According to the data, 26,625 White people died from an overdose in 2020, compared to 21,921 in 2019, a relative increase of 22%.
During that same time, the number of deaths in the Black community rose from 5,146 in 2019 to 7,467 in 2020, a 44% increase.
Native-American and Pacific Islander overdose deaths rose from 327 in 2019 to 456 in 2020, or a 39% increase.
The increased death rates in the study came from 25 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC.
According to the study, the data was compiled from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System, and the rates were then examined by race, ethnicity, and "county-level social determinants" including health, income inequality, and availability of treatment providers.
The study found "significant disparities" across the age, sex, and racial groups, such as a death rate per 1,000 Black people aged 65 and above of seven times the number of white deaths in that age group and were found in larger counties with greater income inequality.
"Health disparities in overdose rates continue to worsen, particularly among Black and [Native-American] persons; social determinants of health, such as income inequality, exacerbate these inequities," the study said. "Implementation of available, evidence-based, culturally responsive overdose prevention and response efforts that address health disparities impacting disproportionately affected populations are urgently needed."
The study found that the overall increases in death "were driven" by illegally produced fentanyl and "fentanyl analogs," but other overdose deaths could also be attributed to stimulants such as cocaine and other psychostimulants "with abuse potential," which have also increased in recent years.
While non-Hispanic Blacks and Native Americans reported "barriers" to accessing mental health services and substance abuse treatments, that issue along with income inequality on the mortality rates have not been "fully explored," especially during the COVID-19 pandemic to see if those factors made the increasing rates worse, according to the study.