According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 2.1 million people in the United States were addicted to opioid pain relievers in 2012. Deaths due to opioid overdose have tripled since 1999, and many of the most devastating consequences that stem from opioid abuse end up spiraling into heroin addiction.
Why is opioid abuse on the rise here — and also in other countries, such as Canada? It’s an epidemic of numbers. These medications have become widely and easily available, so far more people are taking them, abusing them and becoming addicted to them.