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- Opioids are a class of drugs that include synthetic opioids such as fentanyl; pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine; the illegal drug heroin; and many others.
- Use of opioids, either by themselves or in combination with other drugs, is a major driver of the drug overdose crisis in the United States. The vast majority of overdose deaths in recent years involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other potent, synthetic opioids, which may be added to other drugs and consumed unknowingly.
- NIDA plays a leading role in the National Institutes of Health HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term®) Initiative, an effort to develop new scientific solutions to the national opioid addiction and overdose public health crisis and to improve pain management.
Latest from NIDA
Older Black men are disproportionately affected by the overdose crisis
| Highlighting the tragic epidemic of overdose deaths among older Black men in Baltimore
NIH launches program to advance research led by Native American communities on substance use and pain
| Aims to elevate Indigenous knowledge and culture in research to respond to the overdose crisis
To address the fentanyl crisis, greater access to methadone is needed
| People with an opioid use disorder urgently need treatment to protect from overdosing and to help achieve recovery
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Find More Resources on Opioids
- Learn more about overdose prevention from the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Learn about opioid use during pregnancy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- See the latest news from the NIDA-supported National Drug Early Warning System, which seeks to detect new and emerging substance use patterns to prevent related threats to public health.
March 2024
