The death rate for young, white Americans is the highest in decades, and mostly because of drug overdoses

And the death rate for young black people is decreasing, according to a study by The New York Times

By Katie Levingston

Published January 19, 2016 7:20PM (EST)

A kit with naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, is displayed at the South Jersey AIDS Alliance in Atlantic City, N.J. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. An overdose of opiates essentially makes the body forget to breathe. Naloxone works by blocking the brain receptors that opiates latch onto and helping the body "remember" to take in air. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (AP)
A kit with naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, is displayed at the South Jersey AIDS Alliance in Atlantic City, N.J. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. An overdose of opiates essentially makes the body forget to breathe. Naloxone works by blocking the brain receptors that opiates latch onto and helping the body "remember" to take in air. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (AP)

A recent New York Times study scoured 60 million death certificates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and found a rise in mortality rates from drug overdoses for young white Americans aged 25-34. At the same time, young black American mortality overdose rates are dwindling. Why? Watch our video.


By Katie Levingston

MORE FROM Katie Levingston