One in four people prescribed opioids progressed to longer-term prescriptions

Opioid painkiller addiction and accidental overdoses have become far too common across the United States. To try to identify who is most at risk, researchers studied how many patients prescribed an opioid painkiller for the first time progressed to long-term prescriptions. The answer: one in four. People with histories of tobacco use and substance abuse were likeliest to use opioid painkillers long-term.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1KJ2o5O