Table 1.
Characteristics of overdose deaths in Massachusetts.
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
P-valuea |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A) 2018 Mar 24-Nov 8 | (B) 2019 Mar 24-Nov 8 | (C) 2020 Mar 24-Nov 8 | (A) vs. (B) | (B) vs. (C) | |
| Total overdose deaths | 1305 | 1298 | 1321 | ||
| Daily overdose deaths [95% CI] | 5.7 [5.4-6.0] | 5.7 [5.4-6.0] | 5.8 [5.5-6.1] | 0.75 | 0.61 |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 953 (73) | 969 (75) | 971 (74) | 0.37 | 0.53 |
| Age [95% CI], years | 41.2 [40.6-41.9] | 41.6 [40.9-42.3] | 42.7 [42.0-43.3] | 0.40 | 0.02* |
| Race/Ethnicity | 0.10 | 0.02* | |||
| White, non-Hispanic | 1044 (80) | 1013 (78) | 970 (73) | ||
| Black, non-Hispanic | 66 (5) | 90 (7) | 130 (10) | ||
| Hispanic | 151 (12) | 167 (13) | 181 (14) | ||
| Native American/Alaska Native/other | 27 (2) | 17 (1) | 28 (2) | ||
| Asian, non-Hispanic | 15 (1) | 11 (1) | 11 (1) | ||
| Unknown | 2 (0.2) | 0 | 1 (0.08) | ||
| Manner of death | 0.70 | 0.50 | |||
| Accident | 1270 (97) | 1261 (97) | 1274 (96) | ||
| Suicide | 22 (2) | 20 (2) | 26 (2) | ||
| Undetermined | 10 (1) | 15 (1) | 20 (2) | ||
| Therapeutic complication | 2 (0.2) | 1 (0.08) | 0 | ||
| Substances presentb | |||||
| Heroin | 341 (26) | 247 (19) | 157 (12) | <0.001*** | <0.001*** |
| Alcohol | 250 (19) | 299 (23) | 350 (26) | 0.02* | 0.04* |
| Amphetaminesd | 43 (3) | 61 (5) | 113 (9) | 0.08 | <0.001*** |
| Fentanyl analogs | 82 (6) | 117 (9) | 53 (4) | 0.01* | <0.001*** |
| Fentanyl | 1113 (85) | 1162 (90) | 1171 (89) | 0.001** | 0.51 |
| Benzodiazepines | 362 (28) | 292 (22) | 297 (22) | 0.002** | >0.99 |
| Prescription opioidsc | 128 (10) | 112 (9) | 137 (10) | 0.33 | 0.15 |
| Cocaine | 485 (37) | 528 (41) | 585 (44) | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Substances with and without fentanyl | |||||
| Benzodiazepines with fentanyl | 304 (23) | 259 (20) | 255 (19) | 0.04* | 0.71 |
| Benzodiazepines without fentanyl | 58 (4) | 33 (3) | 42 (3) | 0.01* | 0.39 |
| Cocaine or amphetamines with fentanyl | 412 (32) | 493 (38) | 554 (42) | <0.001*** | 0.04* |
| Cocaine or amphetamines without fentanyl | 98 (8) | 76 (6) | 99 (7) | 0.11 | 0.11 |
| Alcohol with fentanyl | 210 (16) | 263 (20) | 316 (24) | 0.007** | 0.03* |
| Alcohol without fentanyl | 40 (3) | 36 (3) | 34 (3) | 0.74 | 0.84 |
a
Significance: *<0.05; **<0.01; ***<0.001.
b
Categories are not mutually exclusive because deaths can involve multiple drugs.
c
Includes hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, codeine, dihydrocodeine, levorphanol and tramadol.
d
Includes methamphetamine.