Background

Opioid addiction is not only a medical issue but a social justice issue, a community and family power issue, and an issue of life and death. Opioid misuse is a pervasive problem in the United States with devastating results especially within Black and Brown communities in Durham, NC.

What Is Abatement?

Abatement means an ending, reduction, or lessening of the number of people dying from opioid overdoses!

This toolkit is designed as a practical resource to help you, those you support, and your community not only stay safe, but also build the capacity to thrive.

The Opioid Epidemic

Statistics

Number of Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed in the U.S. in 2020 (per 100 people) Source: CDC, 2021

20 — 29

30 — 39

40 — 49

50 — 59

60+

More than 142 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed to American patients in 2020, with prevalence varying widely across states (Centers for Disease Control, 2021).

Of course, many people overdose on street drugs, including fentanyl, in addition to prescription opioids. An overdose of either can kill you.

¹ https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

² https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases/murphy-fentanyl-killing-more-young-americans-covid-19

³ CDC, Ovalle, 2023; DEA, 2023. CDC, 2023. The real number of overdose deaths was greater than 100,000, CDC (2023) reveals. https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2023/05/18/7365/

⁴ N Engl J Med. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37163624/

Here is what the study found:

“In the wake of an opioid-related event such as an overdose, infection, or detox admission, White patients received medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) up to 80% more frequently than Black patients and up to 25% more frequently than Hispanic patients, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dartmouth College. Across racial groups, patients made a similar number of visits to health care providers in the six months following such an event — indicating that disparities in treatment are not explained by low contact with care…”Opioid overdoses are rising faster in the Black population than in any other racial group: In 2021, they surpassed overdose rates in the White population for the first time in decades. And rates of overdose in the Hispanic population have recently risen by 40%.”

⁵ NCDHHS| “Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan Data Dashboard” | Metrics; North Carolina 2021 Traffic Crash Facts, Registration-Mileage — Traffic Crash Data — 1960 – 2021.

⁶ CDC | “Overdose death rates increased significantly for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native people in 2020.”

Please see the full list of citations in References.

The Opioid Crisis – More Than Just Overdose Deaths

Source: NIH | https://youtu.be/kOkFoyAfblw

12 Months Opioid Overdose Emergency Department Visits Rate by County of Residence

October 2022 to September 2023

≤ 54.9

55.0 — 98.1

98.2 — 151.0

≥ 151.1

Suppressed (<5 visits)

No visits

Interpret with caution, low numbers (5 to 9 visits)

Note: Encircled area is Durham County, NC.

Reference: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (May 22, 2023). IVP Branch: Overdose Data.

North Carolina Emergency Department (ED) Visits for Overdoses

Hispanic Overdose Rates

Nationally, from 2010 to 2021, Hispanic overdose rates rose from 5.6 to 21.7 per 100,000, an increase of 287.5 % compared to 13.5 – 35.1 per 100,000, an increase of 160 % among non-Hispanics. The average annual percent change was 12 % for Hispanics and 9 % for non-Hispanics. The three most common drug classes involved in overdose deaths among both groups included fentanyl and synthetic opioids, cocaine, and prescription opioids. Hispanic overdose rates were higher than non-Hispanic rates in New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania in 2020 versus only Michigan in 2010, according to Romero, et al., 2023.

Researchers (Romero et al., 2023) observed disparities in overdose mortality growth among Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics from 2010 to 2021. These disparities highlight the urgency to develop community-centered solutions that take into consideration the social and structural inequalities that exacerbate the effects of the opioid overdose crisis on Hispanic communities.

SAMHSA. (2020) The Opioid Crises and the Hispanic Latino Population: An Urgent Issue.
https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep20-05 – 02-002.pdf

Data source for ED Visits: NCDHHS, IVP Branch: Overdose Data (Opioid Overdose ED Visits) https://injuryfreenc.dph.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/Overdose.htm

This toolkit offers practical resources, quick video guidance, and actionable strategies to prevent deaths from opioids, fentanyl, and other substances. We invite your feedback on what’s most useful and what additional supports your community needs. Together, we can build healthier, safer, and thriving families.