METHODS We analyzed data on accidental overdose deaths from the Rhode Island Office
of the State Medical Examiners from January 1, 2016 to July 31, 2020. Rhode Island Medical
Examiners determine an individual's cause and manner of death based on an autopsy,
toxicology panels, scene investigation notes, and medical history. Drugs contributing to the
cause of death were extracted from the cause of death fields and categorized into a drug
class variable. Drug class categories were not mutually exclusive, and individuals who were …

METHODS We analyzed fatal overdose data from the Office of the State Medical Examiners
(OSME) for accidental drug overdose deaths that occurred in RI from January 1, 2016 to
December 31, 2022. Cause and manner of death are determined by the medical examiner
and are based on information gathered from toxicology reports, scene investigations,
autopsy reports, and decedent medical history. For this analysis, we created four mutually
exclusive race and ethnicity categories. Individuals who were Hispanic or Latino of any race …