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Introduction to Chronic Pain 13

These examples show that there is no single “type” of per- son who becomes addicted to prescription pain medication. It can happen even to people who seem to have access to every- thing they could ever want. However, studies show that 50 to 80 percent of people who die from prescription opioid overdose struggled with chronic pain. Opioid Pain Relievers Derived from the opium poppy plant, opioid pain relievers are by far the most common form of prescription pain medication. This type of medication is used because it is very effective in

US Overdose Deaths Involving Opioid Painkillers, 1999–2014

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

1999 2000 2001 20022003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Source: Centers for Disease Control, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/AADR_drug_poisoning_involving_OA_Heroin_US_2000-2014.pdf