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New research suggests that 1 in 5 deaths among young adults in the United States is opioid-related. The study was led by researchers at the St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, ON, results were published in JAMA Network Open today.





What Are Opioids?

Type of Opioid Examples Natural codeine, morphine

Semi-synthetic

hydrocodone, heroin*

Fully-synthetic

fentanyl, tramadol



*Illegal drug



Legal opioid medications can be prescribed, if deemed appropriate, by a physician to relieve short-term severe pain. However, over the past few years there has been increasing concern about the misuse of opioids.1 In particular, two key adverse effects of opioids, physical dependence and tolerance, can lead to overdose, addiction and drug abuse. Regular and/or long-term use of opioids should therefore be avoided.2





The Opioid Crisis

Opioid-related Deaths: The Current Situation

From 2001–2016, the percentage of US opioid-related deaths increased by 345%

By 2016 1 in 65 deaths were related to opioid use, compared to 1 in 255 in 2001

By 2016 men accounted for 67.5% of all opioid-related deaths

The highest burden was among those aged 24 to 35 years





The study results highlight the alarming increase in opioid-related deaths among young adults, particularly males. In the US, years of life lost (YLL) (1 681 359 YLL in 2016) from opioid-related deaths exceeded those attributable to hypertension, HIV/AIDS, and pneumonia. The study authors also note that although opioid-related deaths do not represent a large percentage of overall deaths in adults >55 years, this has increased in recent years and could warrant monitoring and further investigation.3



In a recent press release, first author of the study, Dr. Tara Gomes, commented:



"Despite the amount of attention that has been placed on this public health issue, we are increasingly seeing the devastating impact that early loss of life from opioids is having across the United States,"



"In the absence of a multidisciplinary approach to this issue that combines access to treatment, harm reduction and education, this crisis will impact the U.S. for generations."



References

https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids. Accessed: May 31 2018 http://reachnj.gov/opioids.shtml . Accessed: May 31 2018 Gomes, T, et al. (2018) Burden of Opioid-Related Mortality in the United States. JAMA Network Open. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis. Accessed: May 31 2018



