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  4. Waves of the Opioid Epidemic  

Waves of the Opioid Epidemic  

From 1999 through 2019, nearly 450,000 people have died from an opioid overdose1

Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone)—are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Two out of three (67.0%) opioid-involved overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids.2 And increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths are being driven by increases in fentanyl-involved overdose deaths.4

The increase in opioid overdose deaths can be viewed in three waves. View the video to learn more about the progression of the opioid epidemic in the U.S.  

The 3 waves of the opioid epidemic 

Drugs of abuse 1st wave
Drugs of Abuse 2nd wave
Drugs of abuse 3rd wave

Detection can save lives. Accurate testing to quickly identify drug abuse can help combat the opioid epidemic in your community. Visit the Siemens Healthineers Drugs of Abuse webpage to learn more. 

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1

Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.

2

Mattson CL, Tanz LJ, Quinn K, Kariisa M, Patel P, Davis NL. Trends and Geographic Patterns in Drug and Synthetic Opioid Overdose Deaths — United States, 2013–2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:202–207. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7006a4

3

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/12/cdc-drug-overdose-deaths-in-2020-on-track-to-break-record.html

4

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl.html

5

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl-le-reports.html

6

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html

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