ABSTRACT
The United States has struggled with an evolving opioid crisis over the past two decades. During that time, the source of the crisis has been attributed to several different classes of opioid drugs. The nation is currently experiencing the third wave of the crisis, which has seen a rise in mortality from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. This research examines the impact different classes of opioids had in terms of mortality. These mortalities are analyzed in relation to the decedents’ gender, race, age, and urbanicity, as well as the deaths’ spatial and historical characteristics. The findings challenge the notion that the crisis mostly affected male, white, middle-aged, middle-class, rural, and suburban users and show the importance of considering gender, race, and space in developing medical treatments, health interventions, and public policies in response to the drug crisis.
