For nearly two decades, the United States has experienced a growing epidemic of drug overdose deaths. But even by standards of the rapidly evolving opioid crisis, mortality data from 2018 illustrate a stark transformation: While the U.S. recorded rare declines in death rates from prescription opioids and heroin, overdose deaths from synthetic opioids continued their rise. The year also highlighted the dramatic ascent of emerging substances in the changing crisis, as overdose death rates from cocaine and psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) reached record highs and outpaced overdose deaths from prescription opioids.

Focusing on these recent developments in the opioid crisis, an upcoming SHADAC webinar will concentrate on analyzing and discussing changes in overdose deaths in more recent years, especially in 2018. Using the latest available data, Senior Research Fellow Colin Planalp will detail changing trends—both in terms of substances and subpopulations of concerns—across the nation and among the states.

Mr. Planalp will also be joined by SHADAC Research Fellow Robert Hest, who will explain how to access and use the data on opioid-related overdose deaths through SHADAC’s State Health Compare website.