“In 2014, more Americans died of drug overdoses than any other year on record — more than 47,000 deaths in just one year. That’s higher than the nearly 34,000 who died in car crashes, the almost 34,000 who died from gun violence, and the more than 43,000 who died due to HIV/AIDS during that epidemic’s peak in 1995. This latest drug epidemic, however, is not mainly about illegal drugs. It began with a legal one.” Vox with a brief guide to the opioid crisis.

+ For an excellent look at the rise of opioids and the pill mill crisis, definitely check out the book, American Pain, by John Temple. Great read.