The Toll of the Opioid Epidemic on the Latinx Community

With the COVID-19 pandemic dominating health news coverage over the last two years, the fact that the United States is still in the midst of an opioid crisis has been receiving little media attention in comparison. Meanwhile, people continue to die of opioid overdoses on a daily bases, and the numbers continue to climb alarmingly. And much like the coronavirus, marginalized communities such as the Black and Hispanic/Latinx communities are getting hit the hardest.

Drugs bought on the black market are known to be potentially dangerous, especially with how often many are found to be laced with fentanyl. However, many opioid additions begin with prescribed pain killers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. Patients who went to the doctor for pain relief may then find themselves with a deadly addiction, and turn to illicit drugs when their source runs dry.

While prescription drug abuse is often regarded as a “white person problem,” and most of the attributed deaths are indeed Caucasian, opioid abuse is rising more quickly in the Latinx and other marginalized communities. This is leading to an increase not only in overdose deaths but other issues such as birth defects and other financial, social, and health problems due to addiction.

Why Opioid Abuse Is On the Rise in Latinx Communities

There is no one simple answer to why opioid addiction and drug abuse are on the rise in Latinx communities, as there are several factors involved. First of all, opioids are highly addictive substances and pharmaceutical companies have misled consumers and healthcare providers about how serious the risk of addiction is. In addition, many doctors overprescribe opioids for pain relief, to the point where it could be considered medical malpractice in some cases.

However, there is more at play than the addictive qualities of the substance. While addiction is still often regarded as a personal failing, more and more healthcare providers are coming to an understanding that addiction is a symptom of other issues, such as trauma. With the widespread poverty and discrimination faced by the community, it is not surprising that a number of its members are experiencing mental health issues and turning to substances to cope, or selling drugs to survive. New immigrants also have to face the stress of living in an unfamiliar country, often with the fear of deportation hanging over them. On top of all that, stress over the pandemic has caused drug abuse levels to surge.

Barriers to Getting Help With Opioid Addiction

It is more difficult for members of the Latinx community to get help with their substance abuse issues than it is for their white counterparts for a number of reasons. Certainly, there are cultural factors, such as how it is considered less socially acceptable to seek help outside the family, especially for men. But there are many practical barriers as well.

One of the biggest issues is the language barrier if the individual is not fluent in English, as Spanish-language treatment programs and counseling are few and far between. Some individuals find themselves on waiting lists for months to get the help they urgently need, or in programs that they can barely understand due to a lack of available translators. Meanwhile, it can be difficult to find brochures or information in languages other than English. In addition, they may not be aware that there are Spanish-speaking medical malpractice attorneys that can explain their legal rights and advocate for them if they have been overprescribed medication.

Another barrier that prevents Hispanic and Latinx community members from reaching out for help is fear of the legal system. If they are using a substance illegally, they are more likely to face jail or deportation rather than addiction treatment. They have many reasons to avoid trusting the police or the court system, which are often discriminatory towards them.

What is Being Done to Help Latinx Communities

Fortunately, awareness is rising about how opioid addiction disproportionately affects the Hispanic and Latinx communities. The Addiction Policy Forum has recently launched the Opioid Prevention Campaign for LatinX communities, with multilingual education and resources about prevention and intervention. In 2019, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) partnered with the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) to release the webinar series “Strategies to Address the Opioid Epidemic in Black and Hispanic/Latinx Communities.” The following year, SAMHSA also released a report about the urgency of the issue.

While it is encouraging that attention is being drawn to the problem, there is much more to be done. Dealing with the opioid crisis, especially in the Latinx community, is going to be no simple fix. Increasing the accessibility to treatment options and healthcare is a beginning for helping those currently suffering from addiction, and the widespread availability of Narcan can reduce overdose deaths. However, preventing further addiction will require widespread social changes to combat the poverty and discrimination that drives marginalized communities toward drugs in the first place.