Revisiting the Role of the Urban Environment in Substance Use: the Case of Analgesic Overdose Fatalities

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 Oct 19

PMID 24134362

Citations 45

Authors

Magdalena Cerda

Yusuf Ransome

Katherine M Keyes

Karestan C Koenen

Kenneth Tardiff

David Vlahov

Sandro Galea

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined whether neighborhood social characteristics (income distribution and family fragmentation) and physical characteristics (clean sidewalks and dilapidated housing) were associated with the risk of fatalities caused by analgesic overdose.

Methods: In a case-control study, we compared 447 unintentional analgesic opioid overdose fatalities (cases) with 3436 unintentional nonoverdose fatalities and 2530 heroin overdose fatalities (controls) occurring in 59 New York City neighborhoods between 2000 and 2006.

Results: Analgesic overdose fatalities were less likely than nonoverdose unintentional fatalities to have occurred in higher-income neighborhoods (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70, 0.96) and more likely to have occurred in fragmented neighborhoods (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.72). They were more likely than heroin overdose fatalities to have occurred in higher-income (OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.54) and less fragmented (OR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.55, 0.92) neighborhoods.

Conclusions: Analgesic overdose fatalities exhibit spatial patterns that are distinct from those of heroin and nonoverdose unintentional fatalities. Whereas analgesic fatalities typically occur in lower-income, more fragmented neighborhoods than nonoverdose fatalities, they tend to occur in higher-income, less unequal, and less fragmented neighborhoods than heroin fatalities.

Citing Articles

The Opioid Crisis and Child Maltreatment Across Counties and Time in the United States, 2007-2017.

Chapman A Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 2024; 703(1):139-161.

PMID: 39464258 PMC: 11507506. DOI: 10.1177/00027162221144172.

Benefits and challenges of geographic information systems (GIS) for data-driven outreach in black communities experiencing overdose disparities: results of a stakeholder focus group.

Banks D, Paschke M, Ghonasgi R, Thompson V BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):2103.

PMID: 39098915 PMC: 11299267. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19541-3.

Risk factors for persistent fatal opioid-involved overdose clusters in Massachusetts 2011-2021: a spatial statistical analysis with socio-economic, accessibility, and prescription factors.

Srinivasan S, Pustz J, Marsh E, Young L, Stopka T BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):1893.

PMID: 39010038 PMC: 11251103. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19399-5.

Higher unemployment benefits are associated with reduced drug overdose mortality in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martins S, Segura L, Marziali M, Bruzelius E, Levy N, Gutkind S Int J Drug Policy. 2024; 130:104522.

PMID: 38996642 PMC: 11347091. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104522.

Radical hospitality: Innovative programming to build community and meet the needs of people who use drugs at a government-sanctioned overdose prevention site in San Francisco, California.

Wenger L, Morris T, Knight K, Megerian C, Davidson P, Suen L Int J Drug Policy. 2024; 126:104366.

PMID: 38492432 PMC: 11160962. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104366.

References

Green C, Ndao-Brumblay S, West B, Washington T . Differences in prescription opioid analgesic availability: comparing minority and white pharmacies across Michigan. J Pain. 2005; 6(10):689-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2005.06.002. View

Hannon L, Cuddy M . Neighborhood ecology and drug dependence mortality: an analysis of New York City census tracts. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2006; 32(3):453-63. DOI: 10.1080/00952990600753966. View

Inciardi J, Surratt H, Cicero T, Kurtz S, Martin S, Parrino M . The "black box" of prescription drug diversion. J Addict Dis. 2010; 28(4):332-47. PMC: 2824903. DOI: 10.1080/10550880903182986. View

Galea S, Ahern J, Tardiff K, Leon A, Coffin P, Derr K . Racial/ethnic disparities in overdose mortality trends in New York City, 1990-1998. J Urban Health. 2003; 80(2):201-11. PMC: 3456270. DOI: 10.1093/jurban/jtg023. View

Galea S, Ahern J, Tracy M, Vlahov D . Neighborhood income and income distribution and the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 32(6 Suppl):S195-202. PMC: 1974881. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2007.04.003. View

Ross C, Jang S . Neighborhood disorder, fear, and mistrust: the buffering role of social ties with neighbors. Am J Community Psychol. 2000; 28(4):401-20. DOI: 10.1023/a:1005137713332. View

Latkin C, Hua W, Tobin K . Social network correlates of self-reported non-fatal overdose. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003; 73(1):61-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2003.09.005. View

Marzuk P, Tardiff K, Leon A, Hirsch C, STAJIC M, Portera L . Poverty and fatal accidental drug overdoses of cocaine and opiates in New York City: an ecological study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1997; 23(2):221-8. DOI: 10.3109/00952999709040943. View

Martins S, Fenton M, Keyes K, Blanco C, Zhu H, Storr C . Mood and anxiety disorders and their association with non-medical prescription opioid use and prescription opioid-use disorder: longitudinal evidence from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Psychol Med. 2011; 42(6):1261-72. PMC: 3513363. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711002145. View

10.

Miller J, Piper T, Ahern J, Tracy M, Tardiff K, Vlahov D . Income inequality and risk of suicide in New York City neighborhoods: a multilevel case-control study. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2005; 35(4):448-59. DOI: 10.1521/suli.2005.35.4.448. View

11.

Morrison R, Wallenstein S, Natale D, Senzel R, Huang L . "We don't carry that"--failure of pharmacies in predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods to stock opioid analgesics. N Engl J Med. 2000; 342(14):1023-6. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200004063421406. View

12.

Ennett S, Flewelling R, Lindrooth R, Norton E . School and neighborhood characteristics associated with school rates of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. J Health Soc Behav. 1997; 38(1):55-71. View

13.

Bernburg J, Thorlindsson T, Sigfusdottir I . The neighborhood effects of disrupted family processes on adolescent substance use. Soc Sci Med. 2009; 69(1):129-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.04.025. View

14.

Bryant W, Galea S, Tracy M, Markham Piper T, Tardiff K, Vlahov D . Overdose deaths attributed to methadone and heroin in New York City, 1990-1998. Addiction. 2004; 99(7):846-54. DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00693.x. View

15.

Peterson N, Lowe J, Reid R . Tobacco outlet density, cigarette smoking prevalence, and demographics at the county level of analysis. Subst Use Misuse. 2005; 40(11):1627-35. DOI: 10.1080/10826080500222685. View

16.

Ward L, Patel N, Hanlon A, Eldakar-Hein S, Sherlinski K, Ward S . Prescription medication borrowing among adult patients at an urban medical center. J Urban Health. 2011; 88(6):997-1014. PMC: 3232422. DOI: 10.1007/s11524-011-9589-y. View

17.

Cerda M, Wall M, Keyes K, Galea S, Hasin D . Medical marijuana laws in 50 states: investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse and dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2011; 120(1-3):22-7. PMC: 3251168. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.06.011. View

18.

Mobley L, Kuo T, Andrews L . How sensitive are multilevel regression findings to defined area of context?: a case study of mammography use in California. Med Care Res Rev. 2008; 65(3):315-37. PMC: 2678861. DOI: 10.1177/1077558707312501. View

19.

Paulozzi L, Logan J, Hall A, McKinstry E, Kaplan J, Crosby A . A comparison of drug overdose deaths involving methadone and other opioid analgesics in West Virginia. Addiction. 2009; 104(9):1541-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02650.x. View

20.

Frank B . An overview of heroin trends in New York City: past, present and future. Mt Sinai J Med. 2000; 67(5-6):340-6. View