Trends in U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths
Authors: Mary E. Cox, Nicole Dzialowy, Lillie Armstrong, Scott Proescholdbell
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Letters4 September 2018Trends in U.S. Drug Overdose DeathsMary E. Cox, MPH, Nicole Dzialowy, MSc, Lillie Armstrong, MPH, and Scott Proescholdbell, MPHMary E. Cox, MPHNorth Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, North Carolina (M.E.C., N.D.)Search for more papers by this author, Nicole Dzialowy, MScNorth Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, North Carolina (M.E.C., N.D.)Search for more papers by this author, Lillie Armstrong, MPHNorth Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina (L.A., S.P.)Search for more papers by this author, and Scott Proescholdbell, MPHNorth Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina (L.A., S.P.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L18-0312 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Shiels and colleagues' report (1) reminds those working to combat the national drug overdose epidemic that overdose deaths among non-Hispanic white (NHW) persons have been widely reported as a public health crisis but are increasingly becoming a problem among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic persons. The authors show that much attention and effort are focused on the increase of opioid overdose deaths among NHW persons, whereas those among other races/ethnicities are often overlooked despite increasing rates of death among these populations, as well.Shiels and colleagues' findings are critical to understanding how the overdose epidemic disproportionately affects different ...References1. Shiels MS, Freedman ND, Thomas D, Berrington de Gonzalez A. Trends in U.S. drug overdose deaths in non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white persons, 2000-2015. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:453-5. [PMID: 29204603]. doi:10.7326/M17-1812 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Cox ME, Dzialowy N, Armstrong L, Proescholdbell S. Overdose deaths and acute hepatitis infections among American Indians in North Carolina. N C Med J. 2019 [Epub ahead of print];80. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Smith A. Why the American overdose epidemic is primarily affecting white people. Independent. 26 January 2016. Accessed at www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/why-the-american-overdose-epidemic-is-primarily-affecting-white-people-a6834701.html on 27 November 2017. Google Scholar4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple cause of death, 1999-2016. 2017. Accessed at https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on 29 December 2017. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: North Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, North Carolina (M.E.C., N.D.)North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina (L.A., S.P.)Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L18-0312. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTrends in U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths in Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White Persons, 2000–2015 Meredith S. Shiels , Neal D. Freedman , David Thomas , and Amy Berrington de Gonzalez Trends in U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Amy Berrington de Gonzalez , Neal D. Freedman , and Meredith S. Shiels Metrics 4 September 2018Volume 169, Issue 5Page: 355-356KeywordsAddictionDeath ratesDisclosureNative American peopleOpioidsPlaguePopulation statisticsPrevention, policy, and public healthSocial welfareStatistical data ePublished: 4 September 2018 Issue Published: 4 September 2018 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2018 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...