Understanding the demographics of the opioid overdose death crisis.

ABSTRACT: The United States is facing an unprecedented drug overdose crisis, distinguished from prior epidemics by its severity, widespread impact, and demographic incidence. This study examines demographic overdose trends during the opioid crisis relative to historical disparities. Using a simple decomposition framework, I assess the contributions of specific demographic factors while accounting for other characteristics, finding that many disparities intensify when adjusted for covarying factors. Additionally, I analyze the long-term impacts of OxyContin's launch, discovering that it induced substantial differences in overdose rates by sex and education. While OxyContin contributed to some racial/ethnic disparities, there is evidence that other factors independently shaped these trends. Nonetheles

SUBMITTER: Powell D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12179229 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature