Daniel Rosenblum1, Jay Unick2, Daniel Ciccarone3. 1. Department of Economics, Dalhousie University, 6214 University Avenue, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada. Electronic address: Daniel.Rosenblum@dal.ca. 2. School of Social Work, University of Maryland at Baltimore, 525 West Redwood St, Baltimore, MD 21201. 3. Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Parnassus Heights, Box 0900 MU-3E, 500 Parnassus Ave, MU3E, San Francisco, CA 94143-0900.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The US has seen a rapid increase in synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths. We investigate Ohio, a state with one of the highest overdose death rates in 2017 and substantial numbers of deaths related to fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogs, to provide detailed evidence about the relationship between changes in the illicit drug market and overdose deaths. METHODS: We investigate the illicit drug market using Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation's (BCI) crime lab data from 2009 to 2018 that shows the content of drugs seized by law enforcement. We use Poisson regression analysis to estimate the relationship between monthly crime lab data and monthly unintentional drug overdose death data at the county level. RESULTS: During this time period there has been a rapid change in the composition of drugs analyzed by the BCI labs, with a rapid fall in heroin observations, simultaneous rise in synthetic opioids, and an increase in the number of different fentanyl analogs. We find that the increased presence of fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogs have a strong correlation with an increase in overdose deaths. The types of opioids most associated with deaths varies by the population size of the county. CONCLUSIONS: Crime lab data has the potential to be used as an early warning system to alert persons who inject drugs, harm reduction services, first responders, and law enforcement about changes in the illicit opioid risk environment.
BACKGROUND: The US has seen a rapid increase in synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths. We investigate Ohio, a state with one of the highest overdose death rates in 2017 and substantial numbers of deaths related to fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogs, to provide detailed evidence about the relationship between changes in the illicit drug market and overdose deaths. METHODS: We investigate the illicit drug market using Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation's (BCI) crime lab data from 2009 to 2018 that shows the content of drugs seized by law enforcement. We use Poisson regression analysis to estimate the relationship between monthly crime lab data and monthly unintentional drug overdose death data at the county level. RESULTS: During this time period there has been a rapid change in the composition of drugs analyzed by the BCI labs, with a rapid fall in heroin observations, simultaneous rise in synthetic opioids, and an increase in the number of different fentanyl analogs. We find that the increased presence of fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogs have a strong correlation with an increase in overdose deaths. The types of opioids most associated with deaths varies by the population size of the county. CONCLUSIONS: Crime lab data has the potential to be used as an early warning system to alert persons who inject drugs, harm reduction services, first responders, and law enforcement about changes in the illicit opioid risk environment.
Authors: Brandon D L Marshall; Jesse L Yedinak; Jonathan Goyer; Traci C Green; Jennifer A Koziol; Nicole Alexander-Scott Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2017-09-21 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Nicholas C Peiper; Sarah Duhart Clarke; Louise B Vincent; Dan Ciccarone; Alex H Kral; Jon E Zibbell Journal: Int J Drug Policy Date: 2018-10-03
Authors: Joseph J Palamar; Linda B Cottler; Bruce A Goldberger; Stevan Geoffrey Severtson; David J Grundy; Janetta L Iwanicki; Daniel Ciccarone Journal: Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse Date: 2022-06-15 Impact factor: 3.912
Authors: Joseph J Palamar; Daniel Ciccarone; Caroline Rutherford; Katherine M Keyes; Thomas H Carr; Linda B Cottler Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2022-03-31 Impact factor: 4.852
Authors: Francois R Lamy; Raminta Daniulaityte; Monica J Barratt; Usha Lokala; Amit Sheth; Robert G Carlson Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2020-06-12 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Charles Marks; Daniela Abramovitz; Christl A Donnelly; Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar; Rocío Carrasco-Hernández; Daniel Ciccarone; Arturo González-Izquierdo; Natasha K Martin; Steffanie A Strathdee; Davey M Smith; Annick Bórquez Journal: Lancet Public Health Date: 2021-06-10