22/07/2022
Hello Facebook family! As a research team, we must share a few common myths and statistics on how the opioid epidemic disproportionately affects the Black community. As we continue researching opioid misuse among Black people in Kentucky, we hope that REFOCUS can be a source of education and support for opioid misuse, awareness, and prevention. Please read a few additional statistics below. Be sure to like and share!
Opioid Statistics Among Black People:
- Opioid overdoses in Kentucky increased by over 54% from 2020-2022 and ranked fourth in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic (CDC, 2022).
- Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are increasing faster among Black individuals than any other racial group (SAMHSA, 2020).
- In 2020, overdose risk increased by 57% among Black non-Hispanic residents in Kentucky compared to 45% among White non-Hispanic residents (Slavova et al., 2020).
- From 2018-2019, there was a 38% overall increase in the opioid overdose death rate among non-Hispanic Black individuals (Larochelle et al., 2021).