Low income and education levels are the most common socioeconomic hardships faced by Baltimore-area residents who know someone who has died of an overdose, according to a new Johns Hopkins University study.
The report by the university's 21st Century Cities Initiative, based on 2023 data, found that 54% of respondents who knew someone who had died of an overdose had less than a high school education, and 41% made less than $30,000 annually. The findings reaffirmed the correlation between poor socioeconomic status and the prevalence of drug overdoses in one's life.
"Overdose deaths leave a lasting mark on the people left behind," said lead author Michael Bader, an associate professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins and faculty director of the 21st Century Cities Initiative. "As a community, we live and work in a place where every fourth person we meet is carrying around a profound loss from overdose."
On average, 28.5% of respondents had a loved one who died of an overdose. The number slightly differs among races, with 31% of Black individuals knowing someone and 28% of white individuals knowing someone.
The racial divide becomes more notable, however, regarding the number of individuals who have loved ones with substance use disorders.
Black Baltimore-area residents "were more than twice as likely as white residents to report knowing three or more people with an addiction to illicit drugs," the study found.
"The findings not only highlight the broader loss Baltimore-area communities are experiencing; they also identify the communities disproportionately affected by drug overdoses, and this information can help direct resources to support people who have lost loved ones," Bader said.
The data in the report was taken from the university's 2023 Baltimore Area Survey, which included 1,352 residents. In total, 818 lived in the city, and 534 lived in the county.
Not included in the report were actual fatal overdose rates, which have proven to be much higher among minorities — at least in the city.
In 2023, 691, or 66% of the total 1,043 overdose deaths in the city, were Black individuals, according to data from the state Department of Health.
That equates to a death rate of about 118 per 100,000 people, based on 2020 U.S. Census data, which was well above the death rate of 50 per 100,000 for white people.
In Baltimore County, 27% of fatal overdoses, or 90 total, were Black individuals. That equated to a death rate of about 11 per 100,000 people, which was lower than the death rate of 21 per 100,000 for white people.
Low income and education levels are the most common socioeconomic hardships faced by Baltimore-area residents who know someone who has died of an overdose, according to a new Johns Hopkins University study.
The report by the university's 21st Century Cities Initiative, based on 2023 data, found that 54% of respondents who knew someone who had died of an overdose had less than a high school education, and 41% made less than $30,000 annually. The findings reaffirmed the correlation between poor socioeconomic status and the prevalence of drug overdoses in one's life.
"Overdose deaths leave a lasting mark on the people left behind," said lead author Michael Bader, an associate professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins and faculty director of the 21st Century Cities Initiative. "As a community, we live and work in a place where every fourth person we meet is carrying around a profound loss from overdose."
On average, 28.5% of respondents had a loved one who died of an overdose. The number slightly differs among races, with 31% of Black individuals knowing someone and 28% of white individuals knowing someone.
The racial divide becomes more notable, however, regarding the number of individuals who have loved ones with substance use disorders.
Black Baltimore-area residents "were more than twice as likely as white residents to report knowing three or more people with an addiction to illicit drugs," the study found.
"The findings not only highlight the broader loss Baltimore-area communities are experiencing; they also identify the communities disproportionately affected by drug overdoses, and this information can help direct resources to support people who have lost loved ones," Bader said.
The data in the report was taken from the university's 2023 Baltimore Area Survey, which included 1,352 residents. In total, 818 lived in the city, and 534 lived in the county.
Not included in the report were actual fatal overdose rates, which have proven to be much higher among minorities — at least in the city.
In 2023, 691, or 66% of the total 1,043 overdose deaths in the city, were Black individuals, according to data from the state Department of Health.
That equates to a death rate of about 118 per 100,000 people, based on 2020 U.S. Census data, which was well above the death rate of 50 per 100,000 for white people.
In Baltimore County, 27% of fatal overdoses, or 90 total, were Black individuals. That equated to a death rate of about 11 per 100,000 people, which was lower than the death rate of 21 per 100,000 for white people.
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