State laws preempting local authority to mandate paid sick leave may contribute to increased mortality in working-age adults
Higher risks for death, mechanical ventilation, and major cardiovascular event all independent of sociodemographic factors and medical history
Mortality rate increased more than threefold between 1999 and 2019
Suicide rate was higher for males, among adults aged 45 to 54 years, and for AI/AN and non-Hispanic Whites
President Biden has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of those lost
However, growth in overdose deaths has slowed compared with the 30 percent increase seen in 2020
Greatest increases seen among younger persons aged 25 to 44 years
1999 to 2019 saw increase in mortality rates for opioid-only and opioids in combination with other substances
A shift in the age distribution of opioid-related mortality has occurred with the highest rates now observed in younger individuals
Association stronger in most recent decades and among those with schizophrenia