Over the past two decades, deaths from opioids have increased five-fold, and the number of people seeking treatment for opioid addiction now outweighs alcohol abuse at reporting facilities.
Few communities remain untouched by the epidemic, which kills an average of 130 people each day and costs the US economy an estimated $78 billion a year. In 2018, Western states like Oregon and Colorado had some of the highest rates of painkiller misuse, indicating a shift West from states like West Virginia that were ground zero for the crisis.
USAFacts combed through buried PDF reports spread across law enforcement, public health, and substance abuse agencies to bring to light new data for a fuller picture of the opioids crisis. Learn more below in our outline of the government’s numbers on the crisis.
