The number of North Carolinians who lost their lives to polysubstance overdose dramatically increased from 2009-2018, according to a new article published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Authors of this study include Mary Figgatt, a Graduate Research Assistant at the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC); Becky Naumann and Anna Austin, Core Faculty at IRPC; Scott Proescholdbell and Mary Beth Cox, partners from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Department of Injury and Violence Prevention Branch; and Steve Marshall, Director of IPRC.
Using North Carolina death certificate data from 2009-2018, the researchers identified people who died from polysubstance overdose as those who had one or more substances (including opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, alcohol, and antiepileptics) contributing to the death.
From 2009-2018, 53% of people who died of opioid and 19% of people who died of non-opioid overdose had multiple substances involved in their death. Polysubstance overdoses contributed to a larger percentage of unintentional drug overdoses over time: 32% in 2009 compared to 62% in 2018. The most common polysubstance combinations were opioids and stimulants, followed by opioids and benzodiazepines, and opioids and alcohol.
Compared to those who overdosed from opioids alone, more people who fatally overdosed from opioids and stimulants or non-opioids were non-Hispanic Black and more people who fatally overdosed from opioids, stimulants, and antiepileptics were women. Compared to other polysubstance combinations, more of those who overdosed from opioids alone or combinations involving opioids and stimulants resided in counties where the county health ranking was in the lower half of rankings across the state.
This study helps identify which populations are most affected by certain substance combinations in North Carolina. Future research and interventions should focus on reducing polysubstance overdose deaths with both individual and community level interventions. This study also demonstrates that a focus on opioid use alone is insufficient in addressing overdose. Overdose prevention interventions, such as naloxone distribution programs, should continue to employ harm reduction-based approaches to mitigate polysubstance overdose risk.
Access the full article here: https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/science/article/pii/S0376871620306694?via=ihub