The mortality rate for white men and women ages 45-54 who have less than a college education went way up between 1999 and 2013, according to research published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It is likely attributed to problems with drugs, alcohol, and suicide. An increase in mortality rates for big demographic groups is very uncommon. The last time it happened was among Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Read it at The Washington Post