While drug overdose deaths have decreased nationwide, the trend does not hold across all demographics. According to a new New York Times report analyzing data from 22 states tracking overdoses by race and ethnicity, deaths among Black Americans generally rose between 2022 and 2023, even as overdose fatalities among White Americans tended to decrease.
In Arizona, overdose deaths among White Americans declined by over 2%, while among Black individuals, they surged by roughly one-third. Michigan saw a 12% decrease in overdose deaths among White residents but a 6% increase among Black residents. Maine reported a similar pattern, with a 20% decline among White people and an alarming 40% rise among Black individuals.
In states where both groups saw a decrease, the decline was generally less pronounced for Black Americans, while increases, when present, were typically more substantial among Black individuals.
Although drug use rates are similar between White and Black Americans, overdose deaths among Blacks—particularly older Black men—have escalated at a significantly higher rate over the past decade, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.