Fact Sheet: The Impact of the Overdose Crisis on Black Communities in the United States

Between 1999 and 2022, the Black overdose death rate increased more than six-fold. And those numbers have continued to increase. Why?

Black people often have difficulty accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). They may have limited access to harm reduction education, tools, and supplies. They face racist drug law enforcement that disproportionately targets them. And they experience mistreatment and stigma in healthcare settings.

To save lives, we need to decriminalize drug possession and harm reduction tools; improve access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD); expand and fund more harm reduction and overdose prevention services; and increase culturally sensitive services.

Read our fact sheet: The Impact of the Overdose Crisis on Black Communities in the United States

Related resources: 

• The Impact of the Overdose Crisis on Native American Communities in the United States
• The Impact of the Overdose Crisis on Latinx Communities in the United States