&gt; <i>Recent research has highlighted the plight of less educated whites, showing surges in deaths from drug overdoses, suicides, liver disease and alcohol poisoning, particularly among those with a high school education or less. </i><p>Why is the article mentioning accidents and diseases? Is it implying that these are counted as suicide? I.e. is this the same research, or a tangential discussion of some other results?<p>If liver disease was not considered suicide 30 years ago, but is counted a suicide, you will have a jump in the numbers.<p>More people dying of drug overdoses can easily be pinned on the War on Drugs, which creates an ecosystem such that only brutal criminals get to distribute drugs, and they don&#x27;t care what they contain since they don&#x27;t even bat an eyelash when they murder.  Overdoes don&#x27;t prove increasing &quot;plight&quot;; they more directly confirm increasing junk on the streets. Not to mention, new kinds of drugs!