Opioid addiction is a serious problem that requires the attention of the medical community. To illustrate the significance of the problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated “since 1999, the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (including prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin) nearly quadrupled,” and 78 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day. These staggering statistics are an unfortunate reality for those who are dealing with addiction, and it impacts their families and the substance abuse specialists whose job it is to help them.
