Study reveals leading cause of fatal overdoses among older adults in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A study has revealed that methamphetamine poisoning is the leading cause of fatal overdoses among middle aged and older adults in Hawaii.
The study was done by researchers at UH Manoa’s Center on Aging.
They found that between July 2020 and December 2021, 263 drug-related deaths were recorded across the state for individuals aged 50 to 79.
Of these, meth poisoning accounted for over 64% of those deaths.
According to the researchers, many people in midlife and older ages have been using methamphetamine for decades.
This chronic drug use, coupled with age-related health issues like cardiovascular disease, makes older adults particularly vulnerable to methamphetamine poisoning.
Meanwhile, younger people were found to be more vulnerable to opioid-related deaths.
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