Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids contributed to more overdose deaths in 2016 than prescription painkillers
The proportion of all opioid-related deaths involving synthetic opioids rose from 14 to 46 percent between 2010 and 2016.
by Lev Facher
May 01, 2018
2 minutes
WASHINGTON — Synthetic opioids, particularly illicit fentanyl, contributed to more overdose deaths in the United States in 2016 than prescription opioids, according to a new analysis.
Synthetic opioids, a category distinct from heroin and prescription drugs like Vicodin or OxyContin, were listed as contributing to 19,413 deaths in 2016, 2,000 published Tuesday in JAMA Psychiatry.
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