White Faces, Black and Brown Lives: Racial Disparities in the OD Crisis

In the early days of the overdose crisis, bestselling books like Hillbilly Elegy and Dreamland offered explanations as to why rural white people in Appalachia and the heartland were dying at such high rates. The explanation? Big Pharma profiteering and poor social and economic conditions. Combined with the “deaths of despair” narrative promoted by prominent economists, many came to believe the crisis was only impacting white people due to uniquely challenging circumstances that did not affect other racial or ethnic groups in the same way. However, this was not the entire story. People of color — especially in the areas profiled in popular books and viral headlines — were suffering from similar, if not higher, overdose rates. Today, Native and Black have the highest overdose mortality rates in the United States. While Latinx communities have relatively lower rates of overdose death rates, rates are increasing nationally. And overdose death rates are alarmingly high among certain Latinx subgroups such as Puerto Ricans. Understanding the nuances of these data is critical to crafting effective responses. On this panel, experts will share recent racial and ethnic trends in overdose mortality, including drug type, regional, age, and gender variations. In examining these trends, panelists will also explore the root causes of these disparities and offer racially- and culturally-specific solutions to curb the overdose crisis. This event will offer a counterstory to the racial impacts of the overdose crisis and show why an accurate understanding of race and overdose is crucial to save lives.

• Black Harm Reduction Network
• National Harm Reduction Coalition
• NASTAD
• AIDS United

ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided. This panel is virtual and open to the public. This event will be recorded and registrants will receive the link after the event. If you have other access needs or questions, please contact Aliza Cohen at [email protected].

Host or Publisher Drug Policy Alliance