Prevention, treatment, and recovery information is available to help health professionals and families combat the opioid overdose epidemic.
What to Know About the Opioid Overdose Epidemic
There have been three distinct waves of increases in opioid overdose deaths over the last 25 years, with each wave driven by different types of opioids.
- The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s.
- The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin.
- The third wave began in 2013, with substantial increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly those involving illegally made fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (IMFs).
In the current landscape, many opioid overdose deaths also involve other drugs. In 2023, among a sub-set of jurisdictions, nearly 47% of drug overdose deaths involved both opioids and stimulants. (Source: CDC)
Need help?
SAMHSA National Helpline
Get treatment referral and information about mental health and drug or alcohol use disorders, prevention, and recovery.
FindTreatment.gov
Millions of Americans have mental and substance use disorders. Find a comprehensive list of certified treatment programs across the United States.
Resources
Prevention
Prevention strategies can reduce the impact of opioid use in America’s communities.
Treatment
Treatment options, including medications, are available to you or someone you love.
Recovery
Recovery is a process of change towards positive outcomes, and there is support for you.
Facts
Data helps us understand the opioid epidemic and how it is evolving over time.
Worth Reading
Civil Rights and Child Welfare
Watch this five-part series about civil rights protections for people in recovery from an opioid use disorder.
Combatting Opioids in Rural Communities
The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program works to reduce the impact of opioids in rural America.
Public Health Emergency Declaration
First signed on October 26, 2017.
Real Stories
The videos below show real stories from real people who have shared their personal accounts about their experiences with prescription opioids.
Brenda
Brenda shares her experiences with prescription opioid misuse after a car crash and how her family helped her get into treatment.
Mike
Mike shares how prescription opioids ended his college sports career and changed his life.
Judy
Judy tells her son Steve’s Rx Awareness story and shares the tragedy of losing him to an overdose.