title: Opioid analgesic involvement in drug abuse deaths in American metropolitan areas.
abstract: I measured the role of opioid analgesics in drug abuse-related deaths in a consistent panel of 28 metropolitan areas from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. The number of reports of opioid analgesics increased 96.6% from 1997 to 2002; methadone, oxycodone, and unspecified opioid analgesics accounted for 74.3% of the increase. Oxycodone reports increased 727.8% (from 72 to 596 reports). By 2002, opioid analgesics were noted more frequently than were heroin or cocaine. Dramatic increases in the availability of such opioids have made their abuse a major, growing problem.
authors.affiliation: Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga 30341, USA. lbp4@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Leonard J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Paulozzi
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000633:toxicity*; D003042:Cocaine; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000633:toxicity; D010098:Oxycodone / Q000633:toxicity; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003932:Heroin; D010098:Oxycodone; D003042:Cocaine; D008691:Methadone