Final answer:
The United States is using more opioids than other countries, with a notable increase in the misuse of both prescription opioids like Oxycodone and illegal opioids such as heroin and fentanyl.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States is not using as much opiates and ecstasy as other countries, but we are using a lot more opioids than them. This includes both prescription opioids like Oxycodone, Vicodin, and methadone, as well as illegal opioids like heroin and fentanyl. As a result of aggressive policing of pill mills, the reformulation of Oxycodone, and the scarcity and high street prices of prescription pain pills, addicted individuals have turned to cheaper but more deadly alternatives such as heroin and synthetic opioids. These are often produced by crime syndicates in the US, Mexico, and China. The resulting increase in drug overdoses from opioids has been staggering, rising from about 6 per 100,000 in 1999 to over 21 per 100,000 in 2017. The opioid epidemic affects all demographic groups in the United States, and the surge in prescription painkiller use in the 1990s played a significant role in this crisis, as many patients who were prescribed these painkillers became addicted and eventually turned to heroin when prescription drugs became too costly or hard to obtain.