Deadly U.S. Heroin Overdoses Quadrupled in 5 Years

The latest statistics come as authorities in several parts of the United States grapple with opioid and heroin crises.

from Scientific American

The number of deadly heroin overdoses in the United States more than quadrupled from 2010 to 2015, a federal agency said on Friday, as the price of the drug dropped and its potency increased.

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Who Treats You Matters

Some ER doctors are three times more likely than others to prescribe opioids.

from STAT

Whether patients leave a hospital emergency room with a prescription for opioid painkillers may well depend on one, often random factor: which doctor treats them. And a new study suggests that chance encounter can have far-reaching impact, possibly setting up some patients to become long-term users of the drugs.

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