opioid epidemic

American  

[oh-pee--oid ep-i-dem-ik] / ˈoʊ pi ˌɔɪd ˌɛp ɪˈdɛm ɪk /

noun

1. a public health crisis brought about by a notable increase in the use of opioids.

   legislative efforts to deal with the opioid epidemic.

---

Etymology

Origin of opioid epidemic

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opioid epidemic

Age-adjusted mortality rates have fallen by 17% since 2000 and 30% since 1980, notwithstanding the opioid epidemic and increases in chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Starting in the late 1980s in western Virginia, Kingsolver’s reimagining of “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens combines a rebuke of the modern foster care system with the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025

United States surgeon general Vivek Murthy has said that the epidemic of loneliness is still a "public health crisis on the scale of the opioid epidemic or obesity."

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2024

Over the last five years, she has overseen an activist group called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, which draws attention to the pharmaceutical companies that have profited from the opioid epidemic.

From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

Biden’s unity goals would be hard for anyone to argue against: improving mental health, supporting veterans, beating the opioid epidemic and fighting cancer.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 3, 2023