Congressional Digest

Excerpt

Over the last several years, there has been growing concern among the public and lawmakers in the United States about rising drug overdose deaths, which more than tripled from 1999 to 2014. In 2015, more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses, and approxi­mately 63 percent of those deaths involved an opioid. Congress has responded to the issue through legislative activity and funding, while the Administration has sought to reduce supply and demand of illicit drugs through en­forcement, prevention, and treatment. Terminology: Opioids and Opiates In current usage, the term “opioids” refers to all…