Drug overdose death rates in rural areas have passed up urban areas - Entrepreneur Generations

Rates of drug overdose deaths are now higher than in urban areas, according to a report released Oct. 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report examined data from 1999 to 2015 and found that, though rural and metropolitan areas both saw an increase in overdose deaths, the rural and urban OD death rates converged in 2004, and rural areas edged out urban areas the year after. In 2015, the rural rate of 17 deaths per 100,000 people was slightly higher than the urban rate of 16.2. In raw numbers, metropolitan areas saw six times more OD deaths than rural areas.

Both rural and urban areas experienced significant increases in rates of people who reported using illicit drugs within the past month. But there were also significant declines in the percentages of people with drug use disorders among those self-reporting illicit drug use in the past year.

"The drug overdose death rate in rural areas is higher than in urban areas," said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “We need to understand why this is happening so that our work with states and communities can help stop illicit drug use and overdose deaths in America."

from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2yM40xi Drug overdose death rates in rural areas have passed up urban areas - Entrepreneur Generations

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