The “opioid epidemic” refers to the serious public health issue caused by the rapid increase in the use of opioids. Specifically, the increased prescription of opioid medications led to widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids. From 1999–2019, nearly 500,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including both prescription and non-prescription opioids. The number of drug overdose deaths has quadrupled since 1991.
The Three Waves of the Epidemic
- The first wave began with increased prescribing in the 90s, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids increasing since at least 1993.
- The second wave began in 2010, with increases in overdose deaths involving heroin.
- The third wave began in 2013, with increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. As of 2022, more than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.
Changes in Opioid Prescribing Practices
Although the overall opioid prescribing rate in the United States peaked and leveled off from 2010-2012 and has been declining since 2012, the number of opioids prescribed per person is still around three times higher than it was in the nineties. Millions of Americans suffer from pain and are often prescribed opioids to treat their conditions. Taking prescription opioids for longer periods of time can increase the risk of substance use disorder, overdose, and death. There was a more than 19% reduction in annual prescribing rate from 2006 to 2017. There has been an overall decline in opioid prescribing rates since 2012 and high-dose prescribing rates since 2008.
CDC. “Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER).” National Center for Health Statistics, 17 Aug. 2022, http://wonder.cdc.gov
CDC. “Understanding the Epidemic.” National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 1 June 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html
DEA. “DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl.” U.S. Department of Justice, 30 Nov. 2022, https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain
HHS. “What is the U.S. Opioid Epidemic?” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 27 Oct. 2021, https://www.hhs.go1v/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html#
NIDA. “Overdose Death Rates.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 20 Jan. 2022, https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates