The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis that continues to claim lives every day.
Opioids are a class of drugs that includes the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine and morphine.

Data come from Minnesota death certificates, with cause and manner of death information provided by a medical examiner or coroner. A drug overdose death is defined as having an underlying cause of death within the following range of ICD-10 codes: X40-X44, X60-X64, X85, Y10-Y14. Note that an opioid-involved death may also be counted as a cocaine-involved death if both drugs were listed on the death certificate as contributory causes. The seven non-exclusive categories of drug overdose deaths are defined as having a contributory cause of death: All opioid-involved deaths, Prescription opioids, Synthetic opioids, Heroin, Cocaine, Benzodiazepines, and Psychostimulants with abuse potential (includes methamphetamine).