
Drug Overdose Deaths in the US Over Different Demographics
Drug overdose has become a critical public health concern overtime, posing risks to individuals and communities worldwide. Whether it comes from accidental misuse, intentional self-harm, or substance abuse, it is important to understand the impact that drug misuse has on the current generation. Drug overdose refers to the exceeding consumption of a substance than the recommended dosage, oftentimes the situation can become lethal.
Drug overdoses both accidental or intentional, can occur with all sorts of substances: ranging from prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, or illicit substances. The effects of an overdose depend on a multitude of factors: such as the type of drug, the amount taken, the individual's physical condition, and synergistic effects with other drugs.
Out of all the drug overdosing situations, opioids are by far the most prominent. According to the CDC, “Opioids were involved in 80,411 overdose deaths in 2021 (75.4% of all drug overdose deaths).” There is no doubt that there is an ongoing opioid epidemic, which includes prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. While opioids are the most prominent overdosage substance, many drug overdoses are polydrug (involves multiple drugs). This can be even more dangerous, for example mixing alcohol and opioids can lead to profound respiratory depression, increased risk of overdose, and death.
Thus, we are choosing to focus on the rise in drug overdosages as our problem. More specifically, we are going to mainly focus on lethal drug overdoses, which have been on the rise in recent years. According to the CDC, more than “one million people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose.” And the amount of overdose deaths “increased by 14% from 2020.”
While this is a data science class, the surge in overdose deaths is not just a statistic; each number represents a personal tragedy, affecting families and communities beyond the person themself. The rise in drug overdoses reflects broader societal challenges, including mental health issues, the availability and misuse of prescription medications, socio-economic factors, and the need for more effective drug education and prevention strategies. It also highlights problems in our healthcare system, particularly in areas such as access to addiction treatment, mental health services, and harm reduction resources. In short, the need for a comprehensive solution to the drug overdose epidemic is a moral obligation, and we hope that the conclusions drawn from this data can help point out weaknesses in our healthcare system in order to address the rise in overdosages.
We are motivated in exploring this topic because of the impact drug use can have on our city, our current generation, and our future ones. Our motivation deeply stems from both personal observations and concerns highlighted by recent trends and data. The alarming rise in drug overdoses, especially with the opioid crisis and the increasing availability of synthetic drugs, has become a public health emergency that affects communities nationwide.
As students in the Boston area, we have firsthand experience with how the drug crisis harms the citizens within the city, students, and the people around us. When driving through certain areas in Boston such as South Roxbury, we were taken aback by the significant impact drug abuse has on the homeless, serving as a powerful motive for further reflection and action on our part. It is oftentimes depressing to witness many lives being upturned in such a lively city. As Northeastern students, we feel the need to understand and address this problem on a deeper level.
A possible specific topic of interest is also drug usage in college and among younger generations, and how it has changed overtime. Adolescence and young adulthood are critical developmental periods, and the consequences of drug use and overdoses during these stages can be devastating, leading to long-term health issues, academic and career disruptions, and even loss of life. The increasing normalization of drug use in certain social media and entertainment spheres exacerbates the problem, influencing perceptions and behaviors around substance use among impressionable youth.
Our goal for this project is to not only identify trends and risk factors within drug usage, but to also gain insight of trends and patterns over time. For example, we may be able to study the frequency and patterns of overdose deaths over different time periods, whether the problem is worsening, improving or remaining stable. The data can provide insight into demographic variables as well such as age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, examining the data can tell us more about healthcare interventions, and the effectiveness of certain strategies in reducing overdose deaths. Overall, by analyzing these different aspects of the data, we hope to gain insight into the underlying causes/factors that contribute to overdose deaths.