9 opioid epidemic facts you need to know

The opioid epidemic continues to make front page news with more overdoses happening every day and new synthetic opioids promising more than earlier opioid formulations. Here are 9 facts about the epidemic that you need to know.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 12, 2016.

Source: 2013, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, US Department of Health and Human Services.

Source: Cicero TJ, et al. The changing face of heroin use in the United States: a retrospective analysis of the past 50 years. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(7):821-826.

Source: Sussman S, Rohrbach LA, Spruijt-Metz D. Barnett E, Lisha N, Sun P. One year prediction of pain killer use among at-risk teens and emerging adults. J Drug Educ.. 2012;42(2):195-210.

Source:  Larochelle MR, Liebschutz JM, Zhang F, Ross-Degnan D, Wharam JF. Opioid Prescribing After Nonfatal Overdose and Association With Repeated Overdose: A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164:1-9.

Source: Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS).

Source: Wu LT, Blazer DG, Li TK, Woody GE. Treatment use and barriers among adolescents with prescription opioid use disorders. Addict Behav. 2011;36(12):1233-1239.