Suburban drug overdoses fuel spike in premature death rate

Premature deaths among those ages 25- 44 were way up in 2015, in large part because of a surge in drug overdoses in suburban and rural areas, a report out Wednesday shows.

Drug deaths are also accelerating among 15- to 24- year- olds, but almost three times as many people in the age group died by homicide, suicide or in motor vehicle crashes, according to the new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( RWJF). A rural and urban divide, along with racial differences, were evident in the data. White young people in rural areas were more likely to die by suicide or overdose; homicides by firearms were more common for young black victims.

The report shows “where people live plays a key role in how long and how well they live,” said Risa Lavizzo- Mourey, a physician who is RWJF’s CEO.

RWJF’s county rankings came days after efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act failed in Congress, and experts said the study underscores the importance of health coverage. The report also coincided with President Trump’s proposed $ 3 billion reduction in Department of Health and Human Services funding.

From 2014 to 2015, 85% of the increase in premature deaths was attributed to a rapid increase in deaths among young people ages 15 to 24. The report notes that many issues contributed to the increase. The drug overdose epidemic is the leading cause of death among 25- to 44- year- olds and “a clear driver of this trend.”

Rates of “youth disconnection” — people ages 16 to 24 who are neither working nor in school — are a new addition to RWJF’s report. Education and employment are determinants of health, and the rates of youth disconnection were highest in rural counties, especially in the West and South.

These young people are a “largely invisible” population that represents an “untapped social and economic opportunity,” said Marjory Givens, an associate scientist with RWJF’s county health program at the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute.

It’s “easier to prevent” young people from heading toward this disconnection, she said, than to “try to re- engage young people who have dropped out of school or gone without work for some time.”

Those living in the South are far less likely to have health insurance as Louisiana is the only Southern state that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows “where people live plays a key role in how long and how well they live.” Risa Lavizzo- Mourey, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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