US overdoses surged in 2020 – especially among people of color

Government data show mortality among Black and Native people increased dramatically during the first year of the pandemic

Overdose death rates surged among Black, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals in 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

The data, from 25 states and the District of Columbia, show the overdose death rate increased 44% for Black people and 39% for American Indian and Alaska Native people from 2019.