Drugs.” This resulted in widespread incarceration of drug users and disruption of primarily Black/African American families and communities. This population was criminalized for drug-related offenses at much higher rates than White Americans and this has had lasting effects through the present day. 7 In 2017, though Black/African Americans represented 12 percent of the U.S. adult population they made up a third of the sentenced prison population. 8 In 2012, they accounted for 38 percent of the sentenced prison population in the U.S. and 39 percent of the population incarcerated for drug-related offenses. 9 * In this issue brief, Black/African American is used as an umbrella term to include those who identify as “African American” and/or “Black” in the U.S. When data are reported, if describing specifically the non-Hispanic Black population, “non-Hispanic Black” is used. Today, the response to the drug epidemic is framed as an urgent public health issue. Substance use disorders (SUDs) and addiction are now viewed as a health condition, a disease that needs to be prevented and treated, and where recovery is possible with appropriate services and supports.
Introduction T he current opioid epidemic is one of the largest drug epidemics recorded in U.S. history for all racial and ethnic groups. From 1999 to 2017, there were nearly 400,000 overdose deaths involving opioids in the U.S. 1 In 2018, 10.3 million people misused opioids, including prescription opioids and heroin, and two million had an opioid use disorder (OUD). 2 In 2017, the opioid epidemic in the U.S. was declared a national public health emergency with 47,600 reported deaths from opioid-related overdoses, which accounted for the majority of overdose drug deaths. 3 With approximately 130 people dying each day due to an opioid-related overdose, 4 this epidemic has garnered nation-wide attention, generated significant federal and state funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery and shaped the priorities of many local communities. Attention to this epidemic has focused primarily on White suburban and rural communities. Less attention has focused on Black/African American* communities which are similarly experiencing dramatic increases in opioid misuse and overdose deaths. The rate of increase of Black/African American drug overdose deaths between 2015-2016 was 40 percent compared to the overall population increase at 21 percent. This exceeded all other racial and ethnic population groups in the U.S. 5 From 2011-2016, compared to all other populations, Black/African Americans had the highest increase in overdose death rate for opioid deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. 6 Three decades ago, when opioids and crack cocaine were devastating Black/African American communities, the national response was “The War on
PURPOSE OF THE ISSUE BRIEF
As Congress, federal agencies, state health departments, and other stakeholders mobilize to address the opioid epidemic, what is happening within the Black/African American communities? This issue brief aims to convey snapshots of how this population is impacted. Specifically, it aims to do the following: a) Provide recent data on prevalence of opioid misuse and opioid overdose death rates in the Black/African American population in the U.S.; b) Discuss contextual factors that impact the opioid epidemic in these communities, including challenges to accessing early intervention and treatment; c) Highlight innovative outreach and engagement
strategies that have the potential to connect individuals with evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery and;
THE OPIOID CRISIS AND THE BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION: AN URGENT ISSUE
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