Opioid Epidemic: Scary Statistics

Scary Statistics

• An estimated 20.5 million Americans ages 12 and older misused opioids in 2015 alone, which stemmed from prescription pills.
• In 2016 and 2017 more than 130 people died every day from opioid-related drug overdoses, according to the US Department of Health & Human Services.
• “Drug overdose” is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses in 2015 alone.
• Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers.
• In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills.
• From 1999 to 2010, overdose death rates, sales and substance use disorder treatment continued to increase yearly. The overdose death rate in 2008 was nearly four times the 1999 rate; sales of prescription pain relievers in 2010 were four times those in 1999; and the substance use disorder treatment admission rate in 2009 was six times the rate in 1999.
• Women are more likely to have chronic pain, be prescribed prescription pain relievers, be given higher doses, and use them for longer time periods than men.
• Prescription pain reliever overdose deaths among women increased more than 400% from 1999 to 2010, compared to 237% among men.
• In 2018, there were 46,802 opioid-involving overdose deaths in the United States, 20,000+ more than in 2015.
• Drug overdose deaths in the United States rose 4.6% from 2018-2019.