[jenidallas]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Very true.

I am currently attending a huge insurance conference and there was a presentation about workers comp and drug use. According to the CDC, deaths from opioid pain killer overdoses now top deaths from heroin and cocaine combined.

The thought, "At least it's not heroin" doesn't even apply. All of these drugs are a concern.

And then there is the wave of middle class professionals who are turning to heroin because it has become easier to obtain than opioid pain drugs due to changes in prescribing laws. Chronic pain control is a health care gap in many communities across the US and many health care systems don't have the resources to deal with these patients outside the inpatient setting. As a result, many are self-medicating, often with disastrous results.