Polysubstance Use

Synonyms
Mixing drugs

Combination Drug Use Increases Overdoses

The National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) provided interactive graphic reports on the trends in overdose deaths using the latest data. The interactive infographic shows the effects combined drugs, such as fentanyl and xylazine, have on overdoses.
Posted Date
08/25/23

Epidemiological Trends in Opioid-Only and Opioid/Polysubstance-Related Death Rates Among American Indian/Alaska Native Populations from 1999 to 2019: A Retrospective Longitudinal Ecological Study

The rate of drug overdose deaths in the USA has more than tripled since the turn of the century, and rates are disproportionately high among the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Little is known about the overall historical trends in AI/AN opioid-only and opioid/polysubstance-related mortality. This study will address this gap.
Posted Date
05/11/22

Xylazine spreads across the US: A growing component of the increasingly synthetic and polysubstance overdose crisis

Background: Sharp exacerbations of the US overdose crisis are linked to polysubstance use of synthetic compounds. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer, long noted in the street opioid supply of Puerto Rico, and more recently Philadelphia. Yet its national trends, geographic distribution, and health risks are poorly characterized. Methods: In this sequential mixed-methods study, xylazine was increasingly observed by ethnographers in Philadelphia among drug-sellers and people who inject drugs (PWID). Subsequently, we systematically searched for records describing xylazine-present overdose mortality across the US and assessed time trends and overlap with other drugs
Posted Date
03/16/22

Psychostimulant Drug Use in Rural Areas Amidst the Opioid Epidemic

This News Brief defines psychostimulants; explains why psychostimulant use disorder is under-addressed, particularly in rural areas; reviews the reasons why people use psychostimulants and the harms they can cause; and addresses the impact of COVID-19 on psychostimulant use.
Posted Date
04/21/21