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

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Methamphetamine poisoning is the leading cause of fatal overdoses among middle-aged and older adults in Hawaii, a study has found.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Center on Aging at UH Manoa.

They found that between July 2020 and December 2021, there were 263 drug-related deaths statewide for people between the ages of 50 and 79.

Of these, meth poisoning accounted for more than 64% of these deaths.

According to researchers, many middle-aged and older people have been using methamphetamine for decades.

This chronic drug use, along with age-related health problems such as cardiovascular disease, makes older adults especially vulnerable to methamphetamine poisoning.

Meanwhile, younger people were found to be more vulnerable to opioid-related deaths.

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