Addressing Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Opioid Overdose Mortality: Strategies for Equitable Interventions and Structural Change.

Abstract

Purpose of review: This review synthetizes findings reflecting the increasing racial and ethnic inequities in opioid overdose mortality and emphasizes the necessity for tailored interventions as well as other policy-level and structural strategies to stem this trend.

Recent findings: Factors contributing to inequities in overdose mortality include changes in drug supply, persistent social-structural vulnerabilities stemming from structural racism, and inequities in access to medication for opioid use disorder and harm reduction services. Key strategies to address these inequities include the cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions within an equity-based framework, integrating social determinants of health into addiction treatment, centering anti-racism praxis in addiction research, diversifying the addiction workforce, and integrating structural competency as a tool to restructure education and inform practice. Structural racism must be recognized as a key driver of inequities in substance use outcomes, and this understanding must be integrated into existing models of substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and research.