Statistics

Findings

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data revealed that naloxone was administered 1,334 times during 2019, which is 32.3% less than the number of administrations in 2018 (1,970).
• There were 44.7 EMS naloxone administrations per 100,000 persons in Mississippi in 2019.
• On average, 111 naloxone administrations were reported in Mississippi each month during 2019.
• Of the individuals who received naloxone and provided demographic information, 54.5% were male, and 70% were white. Over 38% of patients were aged 55 years or older. Eighty-five percent of the 1,179 individuals who provided geographic information were administered naloxone in their home county. These values are similar to 2018 data. Table 2 on p. 5 features demographic information of individuals who received naloxone from EMS in 2019.

*Transition in data reporting system may lead to future updates.

Considerations

The life-saving drug naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is used to reverse opioid overdose. The emergence and growing popularity of highly toxic synthetic opioid substances require the following state-level actions:

• Facilitating and expanding access to naloxone for patients with opioid use disorders.
• Providing training on naloxone administration for all first responders and all persons at-risk for opioid-related overdoses as well as their families, friends, and community members.

Important Message

The above graph documents only naloxone distributed through EMS. Additional distribution occurs through the State Targeted Responses to the Opioid Crisis (STR) grant and a standing order. In May 2018, State Health Officer of Mississippi, Dr. Mary Currier, signed a standing order that covers, without a prescription, the dispensing and administration of naloxone. The standing order was re-signed by Dr. Paul Byers, State Epidemiologist, in May 2019.

Findings

• Suspected Overdose Deaths: The top 3 counties, Harrison (32), Hinds (20), and Rankin (17), accounted for 35.0% of all suspected overdose deaths in 2019. The 3 counties with the highest rates of overdose deaths per 100,000 persons in 2019 were Tishomingo (25.70), Montgomery (19.95), and Tate (17.39).
• Naloxone Administrations: The top 3 counties, DeSoto (210), Harrison (206), and Hinds (103), accounted for 38.9% of all EMS naloxone administrations in 2019. The 3 counties with the highest rates of naloxone administrations per 100,000 persons in 2019 were DeSoto (115.38), Tunica (110.62), and Harrison (99.69).

Data Sources: Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (left), Mississippi State Department of Health (right)
*Note: Transition in data reporting system may lead to future updates.

Findings

• Table 3 and Figure 8 report opioid-related admissions to facilities certified by the Department of Mental Health (DMH). Data are based on one limited data source at this time. A more comprehensive universal data source for DMH is under development.
• Table 3 indicates that, on average, there were 3.1 admissions per patient during 2019, a decrease compared to 2018 (3.8 adm/pt).
• Opioids were listed as the primary substance for 58.5% of the 2,295 unique patients admitted in 2019. This 2019 percentage is lower than its 2018 counterpart. In 2018, opioids were the primary substance for 61.8% of the 2,829 unique patients.
• Figure 8 displays the total (primary, secondary, and tertiary) admissions and unique patients. There were decreases in both total number of admissions and unique patients in each quarter compared to 2018. This trend should be treated with some caution because it may be influenced by the provisional nature of the 2019 data.

Number of Admissions and Unique Patients, Department of Mental Health, MS, 2019*

NOTE: The number of admissions is consistently higher than the number of patients because patients can be admitted to multiple programs or relapse.

Findings

• Table 4 and Figure 9 categorize the type of opioid involved in opioid-related admissions to facilities certified by the DMH.
• The “other opioids” category includes prescription opioids and constituted 64.0% of all opioid-related admissions in 2019, a decrease from 71.6% in 2018. Heroin represented 35.3% of admissions in 2019 (compared to 27.0% in 2018), and methadone represented 0.7% (compared to 1.4% in 2018).
• In 2019, the proportion of unique patients admitted for “other opioids” was 63.6%, a decrease from 69.6% in 2018. The proportion of patients admitted for heroin was 35.7% in 2019 (compared to 28.7% in 2018) and 0.7% for methadone (1.7% in 2018).

Number of Admissions and Unique Patients by Type of Opioid, MS, 2019

Considerations

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that 121,000 Mississippians are in need of substance use disorder treatment services. Currently, our state does not have the capacity to provide treatment for all the patients in need.

Findings

Drug-Related Arrests:

• The total number of drug-related arrests reported in 2019 was 17,278, which is 1.7% higher than in 2018.
• There were 578.5 drug-related arrests per 100,000 persons reported to the MBN in 2019.
• In 2019, an average of 1,439 drug-related arrests were reported each month in Mississippi.
• During 2019, the greatest numbers of drug-related arrests were reported in DeSoto (1,958), Hinds (1,740), and Rankin (1,668) counties. These arrests accounted for 31.1% of all drug-related arrests in Mississippi.

Pharmacy Burglaries:

• The total number of completed pharmacy burglaries reported in 2019 was 22, which was a 22.2% increase compared to 2018.
• Five (22.7%) of the 22 pharmacy burglaries in the state in 2019 occurred in Hinds County.
• More than one-quarter of all pharmacy burglaries occurred on a weekend (Saturday, 18.2% or Sunday, 9.1%) in 2019.

Note: The zero values in this table may signify either that cases of overdose deaths, naloxone administrations, and drug-related crimes have not occurred or that such cases did occur but were not reported by the relevant authorities. Overdose death data for 2019 are not final due to pending lab results.

*Transitions in data reporting system may lead to future updates