Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH¹, Melissa S. Tracy, BA¹, Tinka Markham Piper, MPH, CSW¹, Jennifer Ahern, MPH¹, Phillip O Coffin, MIA¹, Kenneth J. Tardiff, MD, MPH², and David Vlahov, PhD¹. (1) Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212-822-7378, sgalea@nyam.org, (2) Department of Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Hosptial, 525 East 68th Street Box 140, New York, NY 10021

In New York City (NYC), more people die from accidental drug overdoses each year than from homicides. We compared the circumstances of fatal and non-fatal overdose in NYC. Between 2001 and 2003 we recruited habitual drug users (n=1,056) in NYC for in-person interviews about drug use patterns and overdose experiences. We also collected data from the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) between 1990-1998 on all accidental fatal drug overdoses (n=7,456). Among the drug users interviewed, 37.0% reported having ever overdosed; men were 1.2 times more likely than women, and Blacks were 0.57 times and Hispanics 0.66 times more likely than whites to report having overdosed. Among the general NYC population, the risk of fatal overdose was 4.25 times higher in men than women; Blacks were 2.15 times and Hispanics 1.83 times more likely than whites to have a fatal overdose. 51.4% of non-fatal overdoses occurred at home and 19.1% in an open area, compared with 72.4% and 10.6% respectively for fatal overdoses. Heroin alone was more likely to be the cause of a non-fatal overdose than a fatal overdose and vice versa for cocaine. These data suggest that characteristics of fatal and non-fatal overdoses may be different; men and minority groups may be at a higher risk for fatal rather than non-fatal overdoses and overdoses that happen at home have a greater likelihood of being fatal. These observations may suggest targeted public health intervention to minimize both fatal and non-fatal overdose.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.To discuss differences in fatal and non-fatal overdoses
• 2.To consider the implications of these differences.

Keywords: Drug Abuse,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.