SEVERE FLOODING LINKED TO INCREASED DEATHS FROM OPIOID USE IN RURAL APPALACHIA

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., July 20 -- Pennsylvania State University issued the following news release:

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Severe flooding may contribute to higher mortality rates from opioid use in rural Appalachia, according to a study by researchers at Penn State.

The findings - published today (July 20) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - are particularly relevant as they come as severe floods are increasing in prevalence and severity due to climate change, said Kristina Brant, assistant professor of rural sociology and co-lead author of the paper.

The study, which examined the effects of severe floods in counties stretching across Appalachia, found overdose deaths significantly increased in the one to two years fo...