Planalp, Colin
Research Fellow

p 612-624-4850
e cplanalp@umn.edu

UMN Opioid Advisory Task Force

On Thursday, September 21, SHADAC Senior Research Fellow Colin Planalp presented a data-focused look at the national opioid crisis during a University of Minnesota Opioid Advisory Task Force forum. Colin presented his recent findings about overdoses related to four different drug categories - fentanyl, methamphetamine, prescription opioids, and cocaine - to the Opioid Advisory Task Force's board of directors, as well as other stakeholders. The research shows that much of the increase in deaths across all four drug categories can be attributed to the involvement of fentanyl, which he refers to as the "hidden tentacles of fentanyl."

Across the states, the opioid crisis varies widely—both in the range of opioid death rates and in the type of narcotic used. For example, deaths from fentanyl alone ranged from a low of 3.7 per 100,000 people in Hawaii in 2021 to a high of 73.5 per 100,000 people in West Virginia. 

The presentation also includes information by demographic sub-populations, including age, race/ethnicity, and urbanization, as well as a discussion of the opioid crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click the image to see the full presentation, and for more resources on opioid-related data visit "The Opioid Epidemic in the United States" SHADAC resource page.