The Burden of Opioid-Related Mortality in the United States

Increased rates of opioid prescribing and the associated negative health consequences have emerged as leading public health problems in North America,1 particularly among young and middle-aged adults.

This article from the Journal of the American Medical Association details how deadly these pain medications really are.

Here’s A List of Common Opioids in Increasing Strength

Codeine
Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Hycodan)
Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian)
Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percoset)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
Fentanyl (Duragesic)

Key Points

Question  What has been the burden of opioid-related deaths in the United States over a recent 15-year period?

Findings  In this serial cross-sectional study, we found that the percentage of all deaths attributable to opioids increased 292% (from 0.4% to 1.5%) between 2001 and 2016, resulting in approximately 1.68 million person-years of life lost in 2016 alone (5.2 per 1000 population). The burden was particularly high among adults aged 24 to 35 years; in 2016, 20% of deaths in this age group involved opioids.

Meaning  Premature death from opioids imposes an enormous and growing public health burden across the United States.

Click Here To Read The JAMA Article