Landmark U.S. opioid ruling 
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Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $572 million for its part in fuelling the opioid epidemic in the state of Oklahoma. Some 125 Americans die of an opioid overdose every day
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Drug overdose deaths (1999-2017) 
Deaths involving opioids

1999   4,172
2010  15,009
2017  45,495

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20,000
10,000

        2000 2005 2010 2015 2017
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Other*  10,717  18,602  9,260

Prescription opioids  3,442 12,796 17,029

Heroin 1,960   2,399 15,482 

Fentanyl and synthetic opioids 730 2,213 28,466

*including methadone
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1999: Increase in prescription opioid overdose deaths
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2010: Rise in deaths involving heroin and synthetic opioids
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2013-17: Surge in synthetic opioid overdose deaths
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Sources: Centers for Disease Control, NIDA, Reuters Picture: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS
  


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