Opioid dependence is widespread

Opioid dependence is more common than people think: in fact, more than 1.6 million people in the US are dependent on painkillers and other opioids. Opioid dependence affects men and women of all ages, races, ethnic groups, and educational levels. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):

• An estimated 5.2 million people aged 12 and older misused prescription painkillers in 2007
• More than 33 million people aged 12 and older had misused pain relievers in their lifetime
• Approximately 153,000 people used heroin in 2007

Opioid dependence can happen to anyone—a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, a spouse, a brother, sister, or parent. Yet a recent national survey, Prescription Painkiller/Heroin Addiction & Its Treatment, found that nearly half of the public is unaware that misusing opioid prescription painkillers is as harmful as abusing heroin.

Fortunately, as more people come to understand that opioid dependency is a medical condition, more people are getting treatment in the privacy of a doctor’s office.

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