Drug use and drug overdoses continue to be a critical public health issue across the United States. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of injury death.1 While the rate of drug use is lower in rural areas than in urban areas, the fatal overdose rate in rural areas continues to rise. In 2015, the rural overdose death rate has been higher than the urban rate since 2006.2 This policy brief is a companion to CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders, and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan areas — United States but will focus on opioid use and overdose in rural America. The brief will explore policy options and other strategies that may help prevent opioid overdoses and reduce overdose death in rural areas. The brief also includes three case studies that present examples from the field. CS289495-A Publication date from document properties. Policy-Brief_Opioiod-Overdoses-H.pdf

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection