Opioids

The Opioid Misuse and Addiction topic includes research on the prevention, treatment, and outcomes of opioid use, misuse, addiction, and overdose. Opioids are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs that include both prescription medications (used primarily for treatment of pain) and illegal drugs like heroin. Opioids are highly addictive, can cause cardiovascular and other issues, and lead to abuse, overdose, and death.

Use of opioids, either by themselves or in combination with other drugs is a major driver of the drug overdose crisis in the United States. The vast majority of overdose deaths in recent years involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids added to other substances without the user’s knowledge.