Cocaine deaths among blacks on par with opioid deaths among whites, study finds

[applegrove]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/04/health/cocaine-opioids-fatal-overdoses-study/index.html

CNN

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To understand drug trends in fatal overdoses, the researchers looked at data from 2000 through 2015. National statistics on drug overdose deaths are based on information from death certificates.

Increases in overdose deaths were seen across all age groups of whites and Hispanics, yet rising rates were most pronounced among older black men (50 or older) and older black women (45 or older).

Cocaine was the largest contributor to overdose deaths among black men and women. Cocaine-related deaths peaked between 2004 and 2007, declined between 2008 and 2011, and then increased again between 2012 and 2015 among blacks, whites and Hispanics. But, the largest recent increase in overdose deaths for black and Hispanic people was due to heroin.

However, Shiels said, there were also increases due to natural or semisynthetic opioids (such as morphine and oxycodone), benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax), synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl) and psychostimulants (such as methamphetamine) among blacks and Hispanics.


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