The US Opioid Epidemic — A War of a Different Kind March 20, 2018
Story at-a-glance
Americans consume 99 percent of the hydrocodone sold worldwide and 81 percent of all oxycodone — approximately 30 times more than medically necessary for the population size of the U.S.
Between 2002 and 2015, opioids killed an estimated 202,600 Americans
Overdose cases increased by more than 30 percent across the U.S. between July 2016 and September 2017. In the Midwest region, overdose cases rose by 70 percent and overdose mortality by 14 percent
Preliminary data for 2016 reveals the death toll from drug overdoses may be as high as 65,000, exceeding both the AIDS epidemic at its peak and the death toll of the Vietnam War in its entirety
The opioid epidemic has resulted in lowered life expectancy for both men and women in the U.S. for the second year in a row
The prescription opioid epidemic is now the leading cause of death among adults under 50 years old living in the U.S. This is both shocking and tragic. But it's a massive and growing business for Big Pharma!
