Fentanyl, a drug more potent that heroin, is the latest iteration of America's evolving opioid epidemic. Subscribe to our channel! goo.gl/0bsAjO /// Sources: CDC Wonder: wonder.cdc.gov/ CDC 2015 heroin report: www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/index.html /// Fentanyl is the latest iteration in an opioid epidemic that is claiming an increasing number of American lives. In the mid 1990s, Americans started getting hooked on prescription pills in record numbers. Many users found their way to addiction by abusing pills like OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin – prescription opioids that had been prescribed by medical professionals to treat pain. Hoping to stem an increasing number of opioid overdoses, the US government limited the supply of prescription pills by restricting regulations, prosecuting irresponsible physicians, and penalizing drug manufacturers. As a result, addicts had access to fewer pills so they turned to a more potent opioid: heroin. As the rate of heroin usage began climbing, the desire for even more potent opioids soon increased. Within a few years, overdoses caused by another opioid began rising: fentanyl. Three years after US heroin overdoses began rising, overdoses caused by synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl) began rising as well. Now, even more potent opioids, like carfentanil, are starting to be used by opioid addicts. The iterative progression of the opioid epidemic demonstrates the need for more responsible drug policy: in addition to cracking down on the supply of drugs, authorities can work to reduce the demand for opioids by providing and promoting effective addiction treatments. /// Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com to get up to speed on everything from Kurdistan to the Kim Kardashian app. Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H Or on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o

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