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.

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Etymology

Origin of opioid epidemic

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

The cases are using a similar script to past ones accusing pharmaceutical companies of perpetuating the opioid epidemic or tobacco companies of failing to warn about harm from cigarettes, cases that led to multibillion-dollar settlements.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 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

The work is supported in part by millions in grants from Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy that has supported health care policies like lower drug prices, access to contraception, and solutions to the opioid epidemic.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2024

The epidemic of loneliness in this country, according to United States surgeon general Vivek Murthy, is a "public health crisis on the scale of the opioid epidemic or obesity."

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2023

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