Regional variation in discussion of opioids on social media

BackgroundNew data sources and analysis methods are urgently needed to improve opioid surveillance and prevent potential overdose. Social media data is one potential data source that might be used and integrated to address this issue. Objective: This study explored opioid-related topics discussed across geographical regions of varying population sizes to determine whether social media data might inform opioid surveillance. Methods: Between March 17th to July 17th, 2020, we collected tweets (N = 19,721) mentioning opioid-related keywords across seven cities within the United States. Results: Results found that opioid-related keywords were distributed as follows: New York (29%), Los Angeles (23%), Chicago (18%), Atlanta (18%), San Francisco (8%), Iowa (3%), and Orange County, CA (1%). We also found regional differences in the types of opioids and topics mentioned. Conclusions: Findings suggest the feasibility of using opioid-related social media data to inform surveillance efforts, as well as potential regional and time-varying differences in topics discussed.