The use, and misuse, of opioid painkillers has become a full-blown epidemic in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and other public health experts. Each year about 3.3 million people misuse prescription painkillers. Drug overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death, killing tens of thousands of Americans each year. Since the opioid epidemic began in the mid-1990s, the estimated cost of addiction treatment, lost work, and overdoses has totaled over $1 trillion. This book provides information about the dangers of prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, and fentanyl, and how the US government is attempting to mitigate this public health crisis. The series Opioid Education examines various aspects of opioid use and treatment in the United States and the rest of the world. The purpose of this series is to provide young readers with a greater understanding of the ongoing opioid crisis.
