Reuters: Opioid drug abuse has killed more Americans than the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam wars combined
* Veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to die from accidental overdoses of highly addictive painkillers like opioids.
* One effort to address the issue has stalled in Congress — the proposed Veterans Overmedication Prevention Act, sponsored by Senator John McCain.
* US government and healthcare officials have been struggling to stem the epidemic of overdoses, which killed more than 64,000 Americans in the 12 months ending last January alone.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Opioid drug abuse has killed more Americans than the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars combined, and U.S. veterans and advocates this Veteran's Day are focusing on how to help victims of the crisis.
Veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to die from accidental overdoses of the highly addictive painkillers, a rate that reflects high levels of chronic pain among vets, particularly those who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to federal data.
U.S. government and healthcare officials have been struggling to stem the epidemic of overdoses, which killed more than 64,000 Americans in the 12 months ending last January alone, a 21 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 65,000 Americans died in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
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WNU Editor: The numbers are staggering, and it is not only an American problem .... Can Ottawa stop Canada’s deadly opioid crisis? (Macleans).
