Drug overdose deaths among Black Americans, particularly older Black men, are rising at an alarming rate, even as overall national rates decline. Recent data reveals a stark disparity in the impact of the ongoing drug crisis, with Black men aged 55 and older facing a death rate nearly five times the national average.
While the United States has seen a significant drop in overall drug overdose fatalities since the peak in 2022, this positive trend does not extend to the Black community. In fact, the overdose rate for older Black men has increased nearly fivefold from 2015 to 2023. This troubling pattern is evident in major cities like Baltimore, where preliminary data shows that out of 1,000 drug and alcohol-related deaths of Black individuals in 2023, 921 were fentanyl-related.
The Georgetown University’s analysis of state-level data further supports this trend. In 22 states tracking drug overdoses by race and ethnicity, fatal overdoses among Black Americans increased between 2022 and 2023, while deaths among whites often decreased.
Experts attribute this disparity to healthcare inequities and the apparent failure of overdose prevention programs to reach the Black community effectively. Mark Robinson, who runs a syringe exchange program in Washington, D.C., emphasizes the long-standing nature of this crisis: “Black men didn’t just start dying. We’ve been dying for decades as a direct result of opioid use disorder.”
The Biden administration’s efforts to curb fentanyl use and reduce overdose fatalities have shown overall positive results. However, the persistent rise in Black overdose deaths suggests that these initiatives may be overlooking vulnerable populations.
This growing crisis underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policies that address the specific challenges faced by Black communities in accessing substance abuse treatment and overdose prevention resources.
See: “Black Drug Overdose Deaths Are on the Rise” (January 9, 2025)
