The opioid crisis in the United States has become so widespread and deep-reaching that virtually every community in the nation has felt its effects. Enough opioids are prescribed in the U.S. each year to keep every man, woman, and child in the country medicated around the clock for one month. Opioids, including prescription medication and heroin, killed over 33,000 Americans last year—a figure almost on par with the number of Americans killed in car accidents or by gun violence every year.

  • The opioid epidemic is taking a toll on children: Nearly three-quarters of states saw an unprecedented number of children entering foster care. Parental substance use was cited as the primary reason.
  • The opioid crisis is affecting the U.S. labor force: The increase in opioid prescriptions from 1999 to 2015 could account for about 20 percent of the observed decline in men’s labor force participation during that same period.
  • The U.S.’ demand for opioids is fueling violence in Mexico: The rising demand in the United States for opiates, such as heroin, is a driver of the escalating violence in Mexico, and the subsequent increase in opium poppy cultivation.

Read the full article on the opioid crisis by Brennan Hoban at Brookings