What are opioids?
- Opioids are a type of drug used to reduce pain
- Opioids include:
- Medications that are derived from opioids such as codeine and morphine
- Synthetic medications such as fentanyl, suboxone, oxycodone, and methadone
- Heroin, an illicit (illegally-made) opioid synthesized from morphine
What is the crisis?
- Opioid abuse is a worldwide issue. The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic.
- In 2016 there were more than 42,000 deaths related to opioids and 40% of those involved a prescription opioid
- In 2016, overdose deaths were the number one reason for death in ages 51 and younger in the U.S., overtaking motor vehicle accidents.
- To put this another way, 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. This is quadrupled from 1999 and continues to rise.
- Almost 18 out of every 100 Americans have misused prescription medications (opioids) or used opioids in an illicit form.
- This is a community and public health issue that we all have the opportunity to impact.
What is El Paso County Public Health doing about the crisis?
- Public Health is providing information and education to medical providers about CDC's prescribing guidelines.
- For more information, or to schedule a presentation, contact us at [email protected]
