Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the number of opiate prescriptions by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has skyrocketed. Data shows prescriptions for four opiates – hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone and morphine – have surged by 270 percent from 2001 to 2012. In some cases, the VA has prescribed drugs to known addicts.
Dig Deeper
- VA’s opiate overload feeds veterans’ addictions, overdose deaths
- Interactive map: Painkillers and the VA
- Watch “Drugging America’s Veterans,” a video on veterans’ battle with addiction to narcotic painkillers.
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- Localize our data.