Opioids

Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to severe pain but can also have serious risks and side effects. 

• In 2021, more than 14.3 million Americans age 12 or older reported misusing any prescription psychotherapeutic drug in the past year; 3.7 million Americans age 12 or older reported misusing prescription pain relievers in the past year.² 

In addition to the serious risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, the use of prescription opioids can have a number of side effects, even when taken as directed: 

• Tolerance—meaning you might need to take more of the medication for the same pain relief 
• Physical dependence—meaning you have symptoms of withdrawal when the medication is stopped 
• Increased sensitivity to pain 
• Constipation 
• Nausea, vomiting, and dry mouth 
• Sleepiness and dizziness 
• Confusion 
• Depression 
• Low levels of testosterone that can result in lower sex drive, energy, and strength 
• Itching and sweating 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever. It is many times more powerful than other opioids and is approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain.³ Illegally made and distributed fentanyl has been on the rise in several states.

• Rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased over 56% from 2019 to 2020.⁴
  

Heroin is an illegal opioid. 

• 25 people die every day from an overdose death involving heroin in the United States.⁵ 
• Over 11% of all opioid overdose deaths in 2021 involved heroin.⁵

Extended usage of prescription opioids, even under a doctor’s guidance, can lead certain individuals to build a tolerance. This implies that they may require increased or more frequent doses of the medication to achieve the intended results.¹

Drug dependence arises from repeated use, causing neurons to adapt and become reliant on the substance for normal functioning. The absence of the drug triggers a range of physiological reactions, varying from mild, as seen with caffeine, to potentially life-threatening, as observed with heroin. Among chronic pain patients, some are dependent on opioids and may need medical support to discontinue their use.¹

Drug addiction is a chronic disease marked by uncontrollable and compulsive drug seeking and consumption, even in the face of harmful outcomes, alongside enduring alterations in the brain. These alterations can lead individuals, whether they misuse prescription or illicit drugs, to engage in damaging behaviors.¹