Opioid Misuse & Addiction

The Opioid Misuse and Addiction topic includes research on the prevention, treatment, and outcomes of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. Opioids are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs that include both prescription medications used to treat pain and illegal drugs like heroin.

Opioids are involved in the majority of deaths in the drug overdose crisis in the United States. However, the types of opioids involved have changed over time; most overdoses and deaths are related to fentanyl alone or combined with xylazine (“tranq”), designer drugs, and new psychoactive substances.