Opioids | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Opioids | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Opioids

Brief Description

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.

• Summary
• NIDA's Role in the NIH HEAL Initiative
• Prescription Opioids
• Heroin
• Fentanyl
• Opioid Research Findings Funded by NIDA

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Monitoring the Future Study: Trends in Prevalence of Various Drugs for 8th Graders, 10th Graders, and 12th Graders; 2017 (in percent)*

Drug	Time Period	8th Graders	10th Graders	12th Graders
Heroin	Past Year	0.30	0.20	0.40
Narcotics other than Heroin	Past Year	-	-	4.20
OxyContin	Past Year	0.80	2.20	2.70
Vicodin	Past Year	0.70	1.50	[2.00]

* Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year. Previous MTF Data

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National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Trends in Prevalence of Various Drugs for Ages 12 or Older, Ages 12 to 17, Ages 18 to 25, and Ages 26 or Older; 2017 (in percent)*

Drug	Time Period	Ages 12 or Older	Ages 12 to 17	Ages 18 to 25	Ages 26 or Older
Heroin	Past Year	0.30	0.10	0.60	0.30
Pain Relievers	Past Year	4.10	3.10	7.20	3.70

^ indicate low precision; no estimate reported.
Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year. Previous NSDUH Data

Summary of the Issue

NIDA Resources

Videos

Related Publications

Opioid Facts for Teens

Presented in question-and-answer format and targeted to teens, provides facts about opioids and their potential harmful effects.  (July 2018) En Español

Prescription Opioids and Heroin

Explores the relationship between prescription opioid abuse and heroin use, including prescription opioid use as a risk factor for heroin use, reasons why people progress from using prescription opioids to heroin, and the need for prevention and treatment. (January 2018)

Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

Discusses effective medications used to treat opioid use disorders: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. (June 2018) En Español

Heroin

A plain-language research summary about heroin, including basic facts such as methods of use, its effects on the brain, other health effects, and treatment options.  (June 2018)

Fentanyl

Offers basic facts about the synthetic opioid Fentanyl including how it is abused, its effect on the brain, and other health effects. (June 2016) En Español

Heroin

Offers the latest scientific information on heroin use and its consequences as well as treatment options available for those struggling with heroin addiction.  (June 2018) En Español

Opioids

A visually appealing booklet for students that explains how prescription pain medicines, opioids, change the way the communication centers in the brain work and ultimately cause their effects. Formerly referred to as Mind Over Matter, this booklet is part of a series focused on easy-to-understand scientific facts. For a limited time, hard copies of the older Mind Over Matter series with Sara Bellum are still available from our clearinghouse. () En Español

View all related publications

Related Policy Briefs

Treating Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy

This brief fact sheet discusses the risks of untreated opioid use disorder during pregnancy, particularly neonatal abstinence syndrome, and provides evidence-based treatment options that have been shown to be safe and effective. (July 2017)

Improving Opioid Prescribing

This brief fact sheet provides information about the risks of prescription opioid pain relievers and a summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Guideline for Opioid Prescribing for Pain. (March 2017)

Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science

This brief fact sheet provides information about the life-saving drug naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose, including how it works and where to get it. (March 2017)

Effective Treatments for Opioid Addiction

This brief fact sheet provides information about the effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorders and recent scientific advances in this area. (November 2016)

Related Infographics

Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults in 2017 (September 2018)

The 2017 Monitoring the Future College Students and Young Adults survey shows trends in the use of marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and synthetic drugs in college students and non-college peers.

Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Drug Overdose Deaths (May 2018)

This infographic summarizes a study that finds that nearly half of opioid-related overdose deaths involve fentanyl.

Monitoring the Future 2017 Survey Results (December 2017)

This infographic of the NIH’s 2017 Monitoring the Future survey highlights drug use trends among the Nation’s youth for marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes (e-vaporizers), and prescription opioids. 

View more Infographics

Related NIDA Notes Articles

• Prescription Opioid Misuse Treatment Leverages Mindfulness To Amplify Natural Rewards (October 2018)
• As Opioid Use Disorders Increased, Prescriptions for Treatment Did Not Keep Pace (July 2018)
• In Animals, Opioid Combination Shows Promise for Safer Pain Relief (June 2018)

View more related NIDA Notes

Related News Releases

• Study shows impact of social interactions on addictive behavior (October 2018)
• New opioid treatment resources for emergency department clinicians (October 2018)
• Journal commentary addresses role of dentists in opioid crisis (July 2018)

View more related News Releases

Related Resources

• The Opioid Misuse Community Assessment Tool (NORC)
• Opioid Misuse in Rural America (USDA)
• Opioid Misuse Resource Map (USDA)
• Infographic - How Can USDA Help Address the Opioid Epidemic (USDA)
• FDA grants marketing authorization of the first device for use in helping to reduce the symptoms of opioid withdrawal(FDA, November 2017)
• The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis - Testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, October 5, 2017 (Senate Web Site)
• Opioid Prescribing (CDC: Vital Signs)
• Fact Sheets: Prescription Opioid Abuse and Heroin Use Epidemic (White House)
• Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit - Updated 2016 (SAMHSA)
• Treatment Improvement Protocol: Medications for Opioid Use Disorders (SAMHSA)
• Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants (SAMHSA)

Other Resources

• MEDLINEplus Health Information on Drug Abuse - National Library of Medicine, NIH
• www.abovetheinfluence.com - Office of National Drug Control Policy
• healthfinder.gov - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies in human volunteers conducted to answer specific health questions. Learn about the NIH-sponsored clinical trials available to you.

• NIDA Clinical Trial Locator - answer a few simple questions and get contact information for Clinical Trials near you.

Other Clinical Trials information sources:

• NIH Clinical Trials and You - NIH site that helps explain about clinical trials and why people participate.
• NIDA Trials at ClinicalTrials.gov - a resource of federally and privately supported clinical trials.
• Clinical Research Studies from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) - a NIDA coordinated network of research institutions conducting human trials on drug abuse solutions.
• Research Studies at NIDA Intramural Research Program - located in Baltimore, Maryland.