Overlooked and Underserved: Confronting the Black Overdose Epidemic

Despite recent news of an overall national reduction of cases, the Black community is experiencing an escalation in the opioid overdose crisis—specifically Black men. The National Institute of Drug Abuse found that between 2015 and 2023, overdose deaths among non-Hispanic Black men 55 and older increased 5x, mostly involving fentanyl and cocaine.

Queens-based nonprofit Elmcor provides trauma-informed care across the age spectrum that addresses substance-use disorder as a public health crisis, including residential, outpatient and supportive housing programs that have yielded remarkable outcomes for program participants dealing with opioid-use disorder. The National Black Harm Reduction Network has also partnered with Elmcor to advance harm reduction principles that optimize health and wellness for Black people who are disproportionately harmed by public health initiatives, the criminal legal system, and drug policies. Elmcor CEO Saeeda Dunston and National Black Harm Reduction Network Executive Director Tracie M. Gardner will discuss the importance of culturally relevant care that acknowledges the inherent healthcare inequality fueling the public healthcare inequalities devastating Black communities.