The U.S. opioid epidemic began in the 1990s, which marked a significant increase in opioid prescriptions and overdoses. More pharmaceutical companies began pushing for opioid prescriptions, and they claimed that the risk for addiction was low.
Over time, people began misusing prescription and nonprescription opioids, leading to a high number of addictions and deaths. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, there were nearly 150,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When people become addicted to opioids, they might not have a consistent flow of prescriptions from a doctor. This can cause them to look for nonprescription opioids, like fentanyl, which was responsible for more than 16,000 deaths in 2020. What begins as a controlled prescription from the doctor can lead to addiction.
Anyone can become addicted to opioids, but some groups have a higher risk based on these factors:
Poverty
Unemployment
Past addictions
History of mental health issues
Age