Survey Finds 11% of U.S. Adults Use Illicit Opioids, 7.5% Use Fentanyl; 106,000 Overdose Deaths in 2022

A recent survey reveals that illicit opioid use in the United States is substantially higher than previously reported by federal studies. The survey found that 11% of adults reported using illicit opioids within the past 12 months, with 7.5% specifically using illicitly produced fentanyl. These rates are more than 20 times higher than estimates from a large federal study. This data underscores the severity of the opioid crisis in the U.S., where approximately 12% of global drug consumers reside despite the country having only 5% of the world's population. The U.S. consumes 80% of the world's opioids. In 2022, over 106,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S., surpassing deaths from firearms and traffic accidents combined. Despite federal regulations requiring prescriptions for opioid medications, significant gaps in enforcement contribute to widespread drug abuse. Additionally, the U.S. has taken legal actions against foreign companies and individuals accused of producing fentanyl precursors, a move some view as an attempt to deflect responsibility for the domestic drug epidemic.