Background: Poisoning by narcotics is a major global health concern, driven by the widespread misuse of opioids, synthetic drugs, and other narcotics. The ongoing opioid epidemic has significantly increased the prevalence of narcotic poisoning, highlighting the need for preventive measures, education, and access to life-saving treatments like naloxone. This study analyzed trends and disparities in mortality rates due to narcotic poisoning among different demographics and geographical regions from 1999 to 2020 for adults aged 25 and older.
Methods: Analysis of Narcotics Poisoning -related deaths in the US from 1999-2020 was conducted using death certificate data from the CDC WONDER database, utilizing the ICD-10 code T40. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 1,000,000 population were extracted, and trends were analyzed using Joinpoint regression to calculate the Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) with p value for statistical significance. Data were stratified using year, gender, race/ethnicity and geographical regions.
Results: Between 1999 and 2020, Narcotics and other psychodysleptics poisoning caused 604,070 deaths among adults aged >25 years in the U.S. The overall AAMR for Narcotics and other psychodysleptics poisoning-related deaths increased from 56.7 in 1999 to 329.56 in 2020, the AAPC for this period is 8.68 (p< 0.01). Men displayed significantly higher AAMRs as compared to women (189.37 vs. 89.07), but there is a steeper increase in mortality in women (AAPC: 9.2515, p< 0.01) in comparison to men (AAPC: 8.51, p< 0.01). There was significant disparity among different races, with Black individuals having the highest AAMR (167.87), followed by American Indians or Alaska Natives (167.51), Whites (158.08), Hispanics (83.43) and Asian or Pacific Islander (15.85). Metropolitan areas had a higher AAMR (142.4) as compared to Nonmetropolitan areas (118.89). Both observed a significant increase from 1999 to 2020 (Metropolitan: AAPC: 8.41, p< 0.01; Non-metropolitans: AAPC: 11.59, p< 0.01). In geographical stratification, the highest AAMRs were observed in West Virginia (388.5) and lowest in Nebraska (40.73). The Northeast region of the U.S had the highest AAMR (159.15), followed by the Midwest (143.83), South (139.77), and West (117.95). Most deaths occurred in Decedents homes (52.57%), followed by Medical facilities (25.73%) and 21.5% deaths occurred at other places.
Conclusions: Over the past two decades, narcotic poisoning-related mortality in the USA has increased significantly. Higher mortality rates were observed in males, Black individuals, and metropolitan areas, with the northeast showing the greatest regional increase. These findings highlight the demographic disparities, need for improved procedural safety and targeted interventions in high-risk populations.
