On the recordMarch 8, 2016
as we consider the CARA bill on the floor at this time--the bill that deals with the opioid epidemic in our country--I thought it might be useful to bring a few statistics forward so we can consider the nature of the epidemic we are dealing with. In 2014, 29,267 people died from prescription opioid and heroin overdoses in our country, with 10,574 of those people dying from heroin. That is a 28-percent increase from 2013. Can I say that again? There was a 28-percent increase in heroin deaths in our country in 1 year. That is the trendline we are talking about with this epidemic. Deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl increased 79 percent from 2013 to 2014. Can I say that again? A synthetic opioid, fentanyl, had an increase of 79 percent in deaths from 2013 to 2014. Here is another statistic: Today's young White adults age 25 to 34 are experiencing the highest death rates since the Vietnam war. Can I say that again? White adults between the ages of 25 and 34 are experiencing the highest death rates since the Vietnam war. In 2014, an estimated 1.9 million people had an opioid use disorder related to prescription pain relievers and an estimated 586,000 had an opioid use disorder related to heroin use. This is the profile of the epidemic we have in our country right now. In the 5-year period between 2008 and 2013, overdose deaths from prescription painkillers and heroin combined increased 37 percent.…
