Explaining Spatial Disparities in Fatal Drug Overdoses, 1970-2016
The opioid crisis has impacted many regions of the United States, transcending socioeconomic, demographic, and political divides and leading to urgent calls for public health and law enforcement interventions. It has hit both micropolitan and rural smaller communities especially hard, with severe increases in prescription drug-induced fatalities over time. This paper explores socioeconomic determinants and spatial disparities of fatalities caused by drug and opioid overdose (both intentional and unintentional), focusing specifically on rural-urban differences and understanding the separate role of net farm income in the drug overdose crisis.
Authors: Meri Davlasheridze, Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Review of Regional Studies Date Published: December 21, 2021