42% of rural adults in U.S. say they or someone in their family has been addicted to opioids; national figure is 30%

Kaiser Family Foundation graph, from its Health Tracking Poll (July 11-19) data

Rural Americans are much more likely to say that they or a family member have been addicted to opioids, according to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

KFF researchers Grace Sparks Alex Montero, Ashley Kirzinger, Isabelle Valdes and Liz Hamel Follow report, "42% of rural adults in the U.S. say they or someone in their family has been addicted to opioids; 30% in the suburbs, 20% in cities. With U.S. overdose deaths hitting a new high in 2022, a majority of adults say they have felt the impact of the substance use crisis facing the country. . . . A quarter (25%) of those who say they or a family member experienced opioid addiction, or 7% of all adults, say they or their family member were treated using medication for opioid use disorder such as buprenorphine or methadone."

Worries about addiction are also more likely to plague rural people. KFF reports that 39% of adults "are worried that someone in their family will unintentionally consume the drug fentanyl, and these concerns loom large in rural areas." Almost half (48%) of rural residents, compared to 39% in large cities and 37% in suburbs, "say they are worried that someone in their family will unintentionally consume the drug."

Opioid addiction can lay waste to families, finances and mental health, harming far more people than the addict. "Among the two-thirds who say they or a family member experienced addiction, three-quarters (76%), or 50% of all adults, say it had at least a minor impact on their relationship with their family," KFF reports. "Most also say it impacted their mental health (70%, or 46% of all adults) or their family's financial situation (57%, or 38% of all adults). Substantial shares say these were 'major' impacts, with about three in ten adults who say so when asked about their mental health (32%) and their family's financial situation (29%), and about four in ten (42%) when asked about familial relationships. A quarter (27%) of those who have had a family member suffer from addiction, but have not personally experienced addiction."

The ominous threat of any addiction has many citizens concerned. "Beyond direct experience with addiction, the poll finds many adults in the U.S. are worried about substance use," KFF reports. "For example, 51% of adults are worried that someone in their family will experience substance use disorder or an addiction to drugs or alcohol and 32% are worried that someone in their family will overdose on opioids, such as prescription painkillers or illegal drugs like heroin."