Washington D.C. is rife with substance abuse, and the number of deaths related to substance abuse is significantly higher in Washington than in its neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia. According to Lindiwe Vilakazi’s June 2023 Washington Former article on the Opioid epidemic in Washington, the Washington Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Report which examined fatal opioid overdoses, stated that while only 13 opioid deaths occurred in Maryland and six in Virginia, 154 such deaths occurred in Washington.
However, it is imperative to look beyond these statistics and instead focus on the reasons behind the disparity between substance use in Washington versus its adjacent states. This disparity, as outlined by a 2022 study by the National Institute of Health (NIH), lies in the fact that the majority of those who fall victim to drug abuse are youth of color.
So, if the government wants to address Washington’s youth drug crisis, it must first address the fact that it disproportionately affects youth of color. According to the same NIH 2022 study, Black OOD (opioid overdose death) rates significantly outnumbered the rates for white people, specifically those related to fentanyl and heroin. As detailed by the NIH, Black OOD rates can be attributed to the lack of social and political resources and poor mental health, partially stemming from negative experiences from childhood due to interpersonal and systemic racism as well as socioeconomic status.
Therefore, the Washington government must raise awareness about these societal issues disproportionately affecting youth of color as, according to the NIH, Black American OOD cases have been underreported as OODs were historically seen as primarily affecting white people. Hence, addressing the “why” behind the numbers is an important starting point to suppressing the opioid epidemic in Washington. Addressing these systemic issues through appropriate and relevant interventions such as educating youth on the dangers of drug usage in classroom settings, collaborating with organizations with the specific purpose of informing youth, establishing anti-drug policy within schools and educating communities on misinformation would have the potential to positively impact the drug crisis and help youth in D.C. overcome their addiction by bringing awareness to the broader issue of racial inequity that affects thousands of children across the city.
