You might have heard about the opioid epidemic in America. But you may not know much about its origin, scale, and efforts that are being made to combat it.
It began in the 1990s with prescription opioids hitting the market and the consequent rise in fatal overdoses growing since at least 1999. Currently, the situation varies in different states, as you can see in the infographic.
Even if you are taking opioid pain relievers under a doctor’s supervision, you can become dependent. AddictionResource authors warn people against changing the dose without consulting their doctor first, taking it more frequently, and using the medication for a longer period of time. And it goes without saying that street-obtained drugs are very dangerous.
Confronting the epidemic is going to take more than disrupting supply chains. The U.S. Government is making intensive efforts to battle the crisis, focusing on prevention, harm reduction, enforcement, and addiction treatment.
Infographic by: addictionresource
