Attentional bias in opioid users: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose deaths that is driven largely by opioid use. Since 2000, the rate of deaths attributed to opioid (i.e., prescription opioids and heroin) overdose has increased by 200% (Rudd et al., 2016). A total of 42,249 people died from opioid overdose in 2016, up 28% from 2015, and the rate of overdose attributed to synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) doubled from 3.1 per 100,000 in 2015 to 6.2 in 2016 (Hedegaard et al., 2017). Opioid overdose deaths closely correlate with the number of opioid prescriptions in the United States, which have been steadily rising since early 1990s (CDC, 2011).
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research