According to a new NBC News GenForward millennial poll, 42% of millennials personally know someone who has struggled with an opioid addiction.
The numbers from the new poll include the 17% of millennials who know someone within their immediate family who has dealt with the epidemic, as well as a quarter of respondents who know someone outside of their immediate family with an opioid addiction.
When it comes to white millennials, 54% know someone who has experience dealing with opioid addiction. 32% of white millennials know a person who isn’t part of their immediate family with an addition and 22% know someone within their immediate family who has struggled with opioid addiction.
These percentages are higher than African-American millennials (30%), Asian-American millennials (26%), and Latino millennials (23%) who know someone who has firsthand experience with an opioid addiction. In fact, the majority of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Latinos don’t personally know anyone who has been directly impacted by the opioid crisis.
The high number of white millennials who have experience dealing with opioid addiction is primarily composed of women. The majority of white women (57%) claim to know somebody who has dealt with addiction. However, white males are not too far behind, with 51% saying they know someone with an opioid addiction.
Over the next few weeks, the House will be voting on bills that target opioid abuse in an effort to combat the growing crisis. Right now, opioid addiction seems to be one of the few nationwide issues that are getting equal concern from both Democrats and Republicans. This is impart because a sizable portion of millennials from across the political spectrum have been personally affected by opioid addiction.
Research shows that millennials who consider themselves to be Republican or Republican-leaning are the most likely (48%) to know a person who has battled an opioid addiction. Those who are Democrats or Democrat-leaning aren’t all that far behind, at 42%, while independents are at 37%. 50% of Republican women say they know somebody who has had to deal with opioid addiction.
There are also regional differences when it comes to millennials experiences with the opioid crisis. Those living in the Northeast are more likely to know an opioid addict, with 23% saying they know an immediate family member affected by opioid addiction. 2/3 of white millennials who live in the Northeast have a direct link to the opioid epidemic.
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