Key Points
Question What has been the burden of opioid-related deaths in the United States over a recent 15-year period?
Findings In this serial cross-sectional study, we found that the percentage of all deaths attributable to opioids increased 292% (from 0.4% to 1.5%) between 2001 and 2016, resulting in approximately 1.68 million person-years of life lost in 2016 alone (5.2 per 1000 population). The burden was particularly high among adults aged 24 to 35 years; in 2016, 20% of deaths in this age group involved opioids.
Meaning Premature death from opioids imposes an enormous and growing public health burden across the United States.
