Since 2013 Overdose Deaths From Synthetic Opioids Rose 20-Fold In The U.S.

Between 2013 and the end of 2020, the number of annual overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids rose 20-fold, from nearly 3,000 in 2013 to nearly 57,000 in 2020. Synthetic opioid overdoses now account for 80% of opioid-involved deaths. Synthetic opioids are created in a laboratory, rather than naturally occurring opioids such as morphine and codeine. They include oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl. They act on the same targets in the brain as natural opioids to produce analgesic effects. 

According to the Council of Economic Advisers, more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdose . . .