Losing a loved one to drug overdose has become such a common experience for Americans that roughly one in every three adults knows someone who has died of an overdose.
According to a new survey by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 32% of the U.S. adult population -- an estimated 82.7 million individuals -- know someone who has died of a drug overdose. For nearly one-fifth of survey respondents, an estimated 48.9 million adults, the person they knew who died was a family member or close friend.
Overdose losses were reported across all income groups, including 40% of lower-income respondents (defined as annual household incomes less than $30,000) and 26% of respondents in the $100,000 and higher income category.
The rates of reported loss due to overdose did not differ significantly by political party affiliation, but those who experienced overdose loss were more likely (37%) to view addiction as an extremely or very important policy issue.
"The drug overdose crisis is a national tragedy," lead study author Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a statement. "Although large numbers of U.S. adults are bereaved due to overdose, they may not be as visible as other groups who have lost loved ones to less stigmatized health issues. Movements to build support for policy change to overcome the devastating toll of the overdose crisis should consider the role of this community."
More than 109,000 people died from drug overdose in 2022 (the latest year with data available), placing the national total since 2000 at more than 1.1 million overdose deaths. Last year, overdose deaths declined slightly for the first time in five years, the study noted, citing preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics. At about 108,000 estimated deaths, the CDC's preliminary numbers for 2023 remain near historic highs.
While the survey questions did not specifically identify opioids, the majority of overdose deaths over the last two decades have been opioid-related.
"The overdose crisis has evolved over several phases, beginning with prescription opioids such as oxycodone playing a key role, followed by heroin and, more recently, powerful synthetic opioids like illicitly manufactured fentanyl and polysubstance use," the study said. "Opioids can suppress breathing as a side effect, and the unpredictability of the illicit drug supply and the potency of fentanyl have dramatically increased the risk of overdose."
The researchers plan to follow up with further studies looking at associations between overdose loss and other social variables such as trust in institutions.
The research was published May 31 in JAMA Health Forum.