Opioids are a type of medicine often used to help relieve pain. They work by lowering the number of pain signals the body sends to the brain. In addition, they change how the brain responds to pain. Doctors prescribe legal opioids to relieve pain, but these drugs are highly addictive and are at times misused by those who feel they cannot stop taking them when their prescription ends or believe they need a higher dose than prescribed. Some users seek out illegal sources for opioids if they are unable to acquire them legally. 

Opioid drugs include: 

• Opium
• Codeine
• Fentanyl
• Morphine
• Hydrocodone
• Methadone
• Oxycodone
• Heroin

Signs of opioid abuse include: 
• Poor coordination
• Drowsiness
• Physical agitation
• Shallow or slow breathing
• Slurred speech
• Mood swings
• Constipation

Opioid abuse has reached crisis level in the years since 1999, with some calling it an epidemic. 
From 1999-2016, more than 630,000 people died from a drug overdose. More than 350,000 of those died from an overdoes involving an opioid. Around 66% of the more than 63,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016 involved an opioid. Around 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdose.