HEALTH
STATUS
Priority Area
Reduce the Rates of Morbidity and Mortality Due to Addiction
Since
1985, the age-adjusted death rate from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
has been declining for both the total and the minority male populations.
During the late 1980s, the age-adjusted death rate for minority males
was slightly more than double that of the total population. In the early
1990s, the minority male rate decreased at a faster rate than that of
the entire population. If current trends continue, both populations
will meet their targets by the year 2000 and the gap between the minority
population and the total population will continue to narrow.
The age-adjusted
rate from deaths related to drugs fell below the revised year 2000 objective
in 1990, but has generally increased in the seven years since to a level
greatly exceeding both the original and revised year 2000 targets. The
drug-related death rate may be expected to fluctuate from year to year,
as it is related to the availability and purity of drugs on the street
and other factors. At this point in the decade, however, it appears unlikely
that the year 2000 objective for drug-related deaths will be met.
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to Health Statistics 1997 |
