Methamphetamine overdose deaths surged in recent years in the United States, hitting American Indians and Alaska natives especially hard, a new study published Wednesday showed.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the research, conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, revealed meth overdoses rose rapidly across all racial and ethnic groups but more than quadrupled overall among non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska natives from 2011-2018.
During the period, the death rate went from 4.5 to 20.9 per 100,000 people, with sharp increases for both men — from 5.6 to 26.4 per 100,000 in that time period — and women — from 3.6 to 15.6 per 100,000 — in those populations.
"While much attention is focused on the opioid crisis, a methamphetamine crisis has been quietly, but actively, gaining steam — particularly among American Indians and Alaska Natives, who are disproportionately affected by a number of health conditions," Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA director and a senior author of the study, said in a statement from the research team.
"American Indian and Alaska Native populations experience structural disadvantages but have cultural strengths that can be leveraged to prevent methamphetamine use and improve health outcomes for those living with addiction."
The study also revealed that non-Hispanic Blacks had the sharpest increases in overdose death rates during the same period, a group that previously experienced low rates of methamphetamine overdose deaths, the researchers found.
Unlike for opioids, there are currently no FDA-approved medications for treating methamphetamine use disorder or reversing overdoses. However, behavioral therapies can be effective in reducing harms associated with use of the drug, the study statement reported.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.