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Opioid Basics

Opioid Drugs

Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain.

Prescription Opioids

Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to severe pain, but can also have serious risks and side effects.

Common types are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone.

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Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever. It is many times more powerful than other opioids and is approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain.1 Illegally made and distributed fentanyl has been on the rise in several states.

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Heroin

Heroin is an illegal opioid. Heroin use has increased across the U.S. among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels.2

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Understanding the Epidemic

Almost 18 out of 100 Americans have used illicit drugs or misused Rx drugs. @CDCInjury www.cdc.gov

The number of drug overdose deaths has never been higher, and the majority of these deaths, 66% in 2016, involved opioids.3, 4

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Commonly Used Terms

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References

  1. Algren D, Monteilh C, Rubin C, et al. Fentanyl-associated fatalities among illicit drug users in Wayne County, Michigan (July 2005-May 2006). Journal Of Medical Toxicology: Official Journal of the American College Of Medical Toxicology [serial online]. March 2013; 9(1):106-115.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital Signs: Today’s Heroin Epidemic – United States, 2012. MMWR 2015; 64(26);719-725.
  3. Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017
  4. Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2017. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov

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