Opioid Overdose | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center

Opioid Overdose | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center

The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic.

Opioids (including prescription opioid pain relievers  andheroin) killed more than 28,000 people in 2014, more than any year on record. At least half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.

Learn More about the Epidemic

What Can You Do to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths?

States

Consider ways to increase use ofPrescription Drug Monitoring Programs, which are among the most promising state-level interventions.

The Public

Learn more about opioids in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose.

Health Care Providers

Consider CDC's opioid prescribing guideline for chronic pain, which helps primary care providers offer safer, more effective care.

CDC's Work to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths

CDC is committed to an approach that protects the public's health and prevents opioid overdose deaths.

In the News

• Digital Press Kit: CDC Releases Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
• JAMA Special Communication: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain 
• NEJM Perspective: Reducing the Risks of Relief — The CDC Opioid-Prescribing Guideline
• Do No Harm: CDC Guideline for Opioids and Chronic Pain – Huffington Post Blog
• CDC Publications

Improving Data 

Improving data quality and timeliness to better track trends, identify communities at risk, and evaluate prevention strategies.

Strengthening State Efforts

Strengthening state efforts by scaling up effective interventions.

Equipping Health Care Providers

Improving patient safety by equipping health care providers with the data and tools needed to improve opioid prescribing.