Black and Brown communities had highest increases in drug overdose death rates during pandemic, study says

Drug overdoses rose sharply during the pandemic, and ethnic communities were hit the hardest. Black people had the highest increase in deaths by overdose in 2020. This is the first time their rates were higher that White people since 1999. Of the groups in the black and brown community, American Indian and Alaska Natives had the highest rates of overdose deaths, and Black people came in with the second highest numbers. The pandemic has been accelerating trends that were already heading towards the wrong direction. Even when the pandemic ends, these trends will take at least a year to subside.

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