Addiction Care for Black Americans

Overdose deaths are higher for non-Hispanic Black Americans even when drug use is not. Ask whether a program can start opioid medication, not only offer a bed.

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Key takeaway

You are looking for care, and you are tired of being treated differently. In 2022, non-Hispanic Black Americans were 46 percent more likely to die of a drug overdose. In 2021, non-Hispanic White adults were 14 times more likely to receive medication for opioid addiction. Ask whether a program can start that medicine.

Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You are looking for care, and you are tired of being treated differently before anyone has asked what you need. The story that this community uses more drugs is not what the figures show. What the figures do show is a higher chance of dying from an overdose, and a medicine that has not been offered evenly.

If someone will not wake, is breathing slowly, or has blue lips, call 911. Those can be signs of an opioid overdose. If you are not sure what to look for, read signs of overdose and naloxone before you are the one in the room. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

The overdose gap

A substance use disorder is long-term and treatable, in any community. In 2022, non-Hispanic Black Americans were 46 percent more likely to die from a drug overdose than the U.S. population overall. The age-adjusted rates were 47.5 deaths per 100,000, compared with 32.6. If you have already lost someone, or you are afraid of being next, that gap is why the medicine matters tonight.

Ask for the medicine

In 2021, non-Hispanic White adults were 14 times more likely to receive medication for opioid use disorder than non-Hispanic Black adults. Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are safe and effective. They help people stay in recovery, and they prevent overdose deaths. You should not have to argue for a medicine that keeps people alive.

You do not need a different diagnosis because you are Black. Ask which of those medicines the program actually provides, and who prescribes. Ask what they do when someone treats you differently because of race. Read how those medicines differ if you want the comparison without doses.

Search FindTreatment.gov for programs that reported opioid treatment, then call and ask who prescribes. Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you want help finding a program that can start the medicine, not only offer a bed.

Additional Resources

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Common Questions

Do Black Americans have higher rates of drug use?

Not in the figures the HHS Office of Minority Health publishes. In 2024, non-Hispanic Black adults were 7 percent less likely than U.S. adults overall to have ever used an illicit drug. In 2022, past-year substance use disorder did not differ significantly by race or ethnicity except for a lower rate among Asian people. Heavier use is not what these figures show.

Then why are overdose deaths higher?

In final 2022 death data, non-Hispanic Black Americans were 46 percent more likely to die from a drug overdose than the U.S. population overall. The age-adjusted rates were 47.5 deaths per 100,000 compared with 32.6. Alcohol-induced deaths in the same year were lower, not higher. The national gap is in fatal drug overdose. It does not explain one person's death.

If treatment rates are similar, where is the access problem?

In the medicine, not in whether anyone had any contact with treatment. In 2024, 4.0 percent of non-Hispanic Black adults received any substance use treatment in the past year, compared with 3.6 percent of U.S. adults. In 2021, only 22 percent of U.S. adults with opioid use disorder received medication for it, and non-Hispanic White adults were 14 times more likely to receive that medication than non-Hispanic Black adults.

Should I ask for a specific opioid medicine?

Ask whether buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are actually available. They are safe and effective, they help people stay in recovery, and they prevent overdose deaths. Failing to use them worsens disparities. Which medicine fits is a prescriber's decision. Do not stop a medicine you are already taking.

Does a directory flag mean the program is respectful?

No. A code on a website cannot tell you that a program is competent or stocked with medication. Use FindTreatment.gov to see what a facility reported, then call and ask who prescribes and what happens if you are treated differently because of race.