MATTERS was published in the Emergency Medicine News’ May 2025 edition! Thank you to the editors at EM News for including our submission and supporting education around the opioid epidemic.
The Changing Demographics of the Opioid Epidemic
Lucy Connery MPH, Kailyn Tomilin MPH, Joshua Lynch DO, FACEP
Emergency Medicine News 47(4):p 14-15, May 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/01.EEM.0000000000000031
Introduction
Since the first wave of the opioid epidemic in the 1990s, more than 550,000 people from various backgrounds have died of an overdose in the United States.1 In 2023, opioid overdose deaths decreased 3% nationwide and by 10% in states like New York—the first decline in the last decade.2 Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported a near 24% decline in overdose deaths between October 2023 and September 2024 compared to the previous year.3 While these milestones may bring hope to communities across the country, community leaders are also reporting alarming racial and ethnic disparities in these health trends. Emergency departments (EDs) are at the frontlines of the opioid epidemic, treating individuals who are in acute withdrawal or postoverdose.4 Therefore, emergency physicians and ED staff members must be aware of the changing demographics of the opioid epidemic and the resources available to effectively address opioid use disorder (OUD).