CDC: Higher overdose death rates among Blacks, Native Americans reflect treatment disparities

Fatal drug overdoses in the United States soared 30% in 2020, the most recent CDC statistics show, but the burden on minority populations has grown exponentially due to fewer treatment options.

According to the data, overdose deaths were up 22% from 2019 among whites but were up 39% for Native Americans and up 44% for Blacks. White individuals with substance abuse disorder were much more likely to have received treatment, however—nearly twice as likely, in fact, when compared with African Americans.

CDC researchers noted that overdose rates were higher in areas with more opioid treatment programs than average and in counties with greater income inequality.