Illicit Drug Use, Disorders, and Overdose Deaths in the U.S.

CE Course Description

Drug use and subsequent overdoses continue to be critical and complicated public health challenges across metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas. The purpose of this brief, intermediate level continuing education course, developed using information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to examine trends in illicit drug use, illicit drug use disorders, and drug overdose deaths in the United States through analyses of 2003–2014 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and 1999–2015 National Vital Statistics System Mortality (NVSS-M) data. Public health professionals and clinicians can use these findings to identify specific subgroups and rural/urban groups in need of targeted interventions and to monitor and prioritize response.

CE Course Objectives

1. Examine recent trends in drug use, drug use disorders, and overdose deaths in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States.

2. Summarize factors that influence the rural-urban mortality gap in the U.S., including those that impact drug overdose deaths.

3. Discuss the prevalence of illicit drug use in metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas by sex, age, race, and annual household income.

4. Identify encouraging signs and causes for concern that may help public health professionals and clinicians recognize specific subgroups and rural/urban groups in need of targeted interventions.

5. Outline how living in a rural area impacts the consequences of drug use, compared to living in an urban area.