Surge in U.S. opioid deaths

The largest civil trial in American history will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, to determine responsibility for an opioid epidemic which has led to almost 400,000 deaths over the past 19 years
                                           

Defendants: Include “Big Three” pharmaceutical companies which allegedly distributed more than 80% of drugs at issue


All opioid deaths between 1999 and 2017
399,212

Prescription opioid deaths
217,530

2009: One in eight Americans uses opioid analgesics

2017: 28,466 deaths involving synthetic opioids


Opioid deaths (thousands, annual)

All opioids 	Prescription opioids            
                                                                47,600
40                                                       33,091
30                                    20,442.     25,050 
20                                    13,523      14,145 15,281 17,029
10	8,048
0	3,442 
	99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

 
Sources: National Center on Health Statistics, CDC 
Picture: Associated Press 
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