For the study, researchers analyzed Colombian public healthcare data from 2010- 2021. Altogether, the data included 127,087 substance use-related overdoses among people aged 10 and older, of whom 54% were male, 75% aged 10-34 years old, and 72% having at least some high school education or higher.
The most frequently reported substances included tranquilizers/ sedatives/ antidepressants (43%), cannabis (16%), stimulants (16%), alcohol (16%), and opioids (6%). The vast majority of stimulant overdoses - 95%- were due to cocaine, and 74% of opioid overdoses were due to prescription opioids.
Rates of overdose that involved tranquilizers/ sedatives/ antidepressants and those involving opioids rose over the study period and grew at a faster rate from 2018. Overdose rates among women for tranquilizers/ sedatives/ antidepressants increased from 12 to 33 per 100,000 between 2018 and 2021.
Meanwhile, drug overdoses involving cannabis and stimulants increased until 2017 but decreased thereafter. The researchers noted that decreases in cannabis and stimulant use among younger populations may have stemmed from mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"More research on risk factors, motivations for use, and sources of these medications is needed to improve harm reduction interventions and policies,” said first author of the study, Julian Santaella-Tenorio, DrPH, professor at Universidad Pontificia Javeriana in Cali, Colombia, former Columbia DrPH student, in a press release.
“We also believe that suicide risk screening and access to complementary mental health care addressing suicidal ideation or behavior may improve health outcomes among individuals being prescribed these medications and those having recently experienced an overdose," he added.
As for limitations, the researchers noted that the survey likely underestimates drug use given that it excluded high-risk populations, i.e., homeless people and incarcerated populations. Overdoses not treated in health facilities were not included in the data.
“Health surveillance systems are an important tool that can guide overdose prevention efforts in countries with limited data resources. While this particular study focuses on Colombia, their surveillance systems methodology can generate information for public health prevention efforts in other resource-poor countries,” said senior author of the study, Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, in a press release.
Sources: EurekAlert, American Journal of Public Health