In the late 90's and early 2000's In the late 1990s pharmaceutical companies were pushing opioid pain relievers and reassuring doctors that patients would not become addicted. With big bonuses for increased sales, prescription numbers rose drastically. This led to many people quickly becoming dependent and addicted to these drugs. Pill mills popped up all over the US and overdose deaths skyrocketed. The CDC states that between 1999 and 2018 close to 450,000 people died from opioid overdoses.
This guide from CEUfast looks at the s across America. Each one of the 50 counties on this map are in the eastern United States. The top 20 counties with the highest rates per 100,000 people in 2018 are below:
Norton City, VA: 311.3
Galax City, VA: 301.3
Martinsville City, VA: 293.5
Owsley, KY: 241.8
Hardin, IL: 206.7
Floyd, KY: 205.3
Walker, AL: 204.8
Franklin City, VA: 204.6
Perry, KY: 203.6
Whitley, KY: 199.6
Bell, KY: 197.9
Ware, GA: 194.8
Lexington City, VA: 191.3
Emporia City, VA: 183.4
Pike, KY: 180.7
Covington City, VA: 177.8
Saline, IL: 177.0
Harmon, OK: 174.2
Bacon, GA: 172.7
Clay, KY: 167.3
Infographic by: ceufast
