 In a survey of 12th graders, it was found that students perceived a sharp decrease in availability of marijuana and alcohol in the months after the onset of the pandemic. However, despite the perceived decrease in availability, the levels of use of these substances did not change significantly. Before the pandemic, 23% of students said they had used marijuana in the past 30 days, compared to 20% during the pandemic. For alcohol, 17% reported binge drinking in the past two weeks pre-pandemic, compared to 13% during the pandemic. However, there was a moderate and significant decrease in nicotine vaping – before the pandemic, 24% of respondents said they had vaped nicotine in the past 30 days, compared to 17% during the pandemic. This shows that despite a perceived unavailability, students still had access to both marijuana and alcohol during the pandemic. In addition, the authors suggest that when the substances became less available, the students may have intensified their efforts to obtain them.
 Despite naloxone’s effectiveness at reversing opioid overdoses by restoring breathing, a study published in the March 23, online edition of the International Journal of Drug Policy, Davidson and an international group of researchers found that opioid users who participate in a 12-step abstinence program and recently stopped using drugs refused to take home naloxone, even if having it on hand might save lives. According to the study, individuals who were newly abstinent from opioid use believed that carrying naloxone symbolically tied them to a drug-use identity that they were trying to leave behind. The 12-step abstinence program uses social behaviors, such as staying away from people, places and things considered to be tied to drug use, and many individuals felt that carrying naloxone was in direct conflict with this concept. To reduce the stigma associated with naloxone, researchers suggest reframing the meaning of carrying naloxone to represent a commitment to group safety and the wellbeing of those "who still suffer" and relabeling naloxone training programs in substance use disorder treatment settings as "overdose first aid."
Although more Americans are receiving treatment for opioid use disorder, racial disparities are still persistent according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found rates of opioid addiction among Medicaid patients in 11 states increased from 3.3% in 2014 to 5% in 2018. The prevalence of medication treatment for opioid addiction increased from 47.8% to 57.1% during that period. The study also found that Black patients were much less likely than white patients to be treated with medication for their opioid addiction. They were also less likely to have continuity of treatment. The study showed that opioid use disorder can be treated successfully, just as other diseases can, but treatment is most successful when the patient has regular, unimpeded access to trained clinicians who can not only treat the disorder, but also oversee the rest of their healthcare.
Looking for drug overdose data? State and county level data relating to drug overdose deaths, nonfatal overdoses, opioid prescribing and much more can be found on the Drug Overdose Dashboard. Additional overdose data can be found on StatsExplorer. Please reach out to the DOP team to ask data questions.
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