*THREAD 🧵* Here is a visualization of drug-related data from a regional perspective. I'll start with Central Florida counties that surround Orange County (Orlando). The left is drug overdose death rate, right is Rx opioid dispensing rate for each colored county from 2006-2018.
As the rate changes from year to year, the colors either get darker (increase) or lighter (decrease). It's fairly straight forward. Seeing multiple counties from a regional view is pretty eye-opening 👀.
Orange County (Orlando) is the metro center of this area with a population of over 1 million people. Note that population is not the one and only factor that influences overdose death rates... we can see the smaller Brevard and Volusia consistently have the highest rates.
From 2006 to 2010, the region's drug overdose death rate increased along with the Rx opioid dispensing rate. The theory is that non-patients were getting their hands on diverted Rx opioids and this group of users were contributing to the increase of overdose deaths.
In 2011, the Rx opioid dispensing rate started to decline due to government restrictions on doctors prescribing opioids. In 2011 and 2012, we can see the drug overdose death rates also decrease.
As the mid-2010s came, we started to see the drug overdose death rates begin to drastically increase... all while the Rx opioid dispensing rates continued their declines. The main culprit was the use of illicit fentanyl as additives & substitutes in the U.S. illicit drug supplies
A point some experts have made is that restrictions on prescribing opioids have contributed to the increase in OD deaths due to pain patients not being able to get a sufficient supply of Rx opioids to manage their pain and thus seeking illicit sources (e.g., heroin, etc).
In the slideshow, we can see that Brevard and Volusia counties have the 2 highest Rx opioid dispensing rates in this region and also seem to have the largest decrease in Rx opioid dispensing - which may be a factor in why they also have the 2 highest OD death rates in this region
Pain patients (that became desperate to treat their pain when their doctors couldn't) weren't the only group at risk as illicit fentanyl made its way into the illicit drug supplies. Non-medical users, recreational drug users, etc. have also contributed to OD death rates ⬆️
I can get deeper into analyzing this data and attempting to interpret it but I'll leave it at this for now and let you all provide some input & interpretations. I'll gladly take suggestions for more regions to do. Discussions are beneficial and constructive so let's all discuss!
While I’m at it I might as well tag some local public officials. They like data too.
On the federal level:
@DarrenSoto @RepValDemings @RepStephMurphy
@congbillposey
@RepWaltzPress
@RepWebster
@ScottFranklinFL
@RepGusBilirakis
On the federal level:
@DarrenSoto @RepValDemings @RepStephMurphy
@congbillposey
@RepWaltzPress
@RepWebster
@ScottFranklinFL
@RepGusBilirakis
To share data with the Florida state senators of this region:
@jasonbrodeur
@LindaStewartFL
@RandolphBracy @FLSenatorTorres
@kellistargel
@dennisbaxley
@debbie_mayfield
@SenTomWright
@Sen_Albritton
@jasonbrodeur
@LindaStewartFL
@RandolphBracy @FLSenatorTorres
@kellistargel
@dennisbaxley
@debbie_mayfield
@SenTomWright
@Sen_Albritton
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