Opioid epidemic in the United States

Number of yearly U.S. opioid overdose deaths from all opioid drugs.
U.S. yearly overdose deaths, and the drugs involved. Among the 108,000 deaths in 2022, the largest share was related to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids (73,838 deaths).[1]
Total drug overdose deaths in the United States.

There is an ongoing opioid epidemic (also known as the opioid crisis) in the United States, originating out of both medical prescriptions and illegal sources. It has been called "one of the most devastating public health catastrophes of our time". The opioid epidemic unfolded in three waves. The first wave of the epidemic in the United States began in the late 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when opioids were increasingly prescribed for pain management, resulting in a rise in overall opioid use throughout subsequent years.[2] The second wave was from an expansion in the heroin market to supply already addicted people. The third wave starting in 2013 was marked by a steep 1,040% increase in the synthetic opioid-involved death rate as synthetic opioids flooded the US market.[3][4]

In the United States, there were approximately 109,600 drug-overdose-related deaths in the 12-month period ending January 31, 2023, at a rate of 300 deaths per day.[5] From 1999 to 2020, nearly 841,000 people died from drug overdoses,[6] with prescription and illicit opioids responsible for 500,000 of those deaths.[7] In 2017 alone, there were 70,237 recorded drug overdose deaths; of those deaths, 47,600 involved an opioid.[8][9] A report from December 2017 estimated that 130 people die every day in the United States due to opioid-related drug overdose.[10] The great majority of Americans who use prescription opioids do not believe that they are misusing them.[11]

The problem is significantly worse in rural areas, where socioeconomic variables, health behaviors, and accessibility to healthcare are responsible for a higher death rate.[12] Teen use of opioids has been noticeably increasing, with prescription drugs used more than any illicit drug except cannabis: more than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined.[13]

  1. ^ Overdose Death Rates Archived November 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. By National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
  2. ^ Guy GP, Zhang K, Bohm MK, Losby J, Lewis B, Young R, et al. (July 2017). "Vital Signs: Changes in Opioid Prescribing in the United States, 2006–2015". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 66 (26): 697–704. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6626a4. PMC 5726238. PMID 28683056.
  3. ^ "What led to the opioid crisis and how to fix it". Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  4. ^ Mattson CL (2021). "Trends and Geographic Patterns in Drug and Synthetic Opioid Overdose Deaths - United States, 2013-2019". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 70. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7006a4. PMC 7877587. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Products - Vital Statistics Rapid Release - Provisional Drug Overdose Data Archived November 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hover cursor over the end of the graph in Figure 1A to get the latest number. Scroll down the page and click on the dropdown data table called "Data Table for Figure 1a. 12 Month-ending Provisional Counts of Drug Overdose Deaths". The number used is the "predicted value" for the 12 month period that is ending at the end of that month. That number changes as more info comes in. If there are problems use a different browser.
  6. ^ "Data Overview | CDC's Response to the Opioid Overdose Epidemic". CDC. October 15, 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Scholl L, Seth P, Kariisa M, Wilson N, Baldwin G (January 2018). "Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths – United States, 2013–2017". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 67 (5152): 1419–1427. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6751521e1. PMC 6334822. PMID 30605448.
  9. ^ Hedegaard H (2018). "Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999-2017". NCHS Data Brief (329): 1–8. OCLC 1083547566. PMID 30500323.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D., Matthew Williams, Ph.D., and Struther L. Van Horn, M.A. "Why Do Adults Misuse Prescription Drugs?" Archived June 11, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Short Report. July 27, 2017.
  12. ^ "Rural America in Crisis: The Changing Opioid Overdose Epidemic | Blogs | CDC". November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :24 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).