Interesting but 10 years ago. BEFORE big "epidemic"-----Over 60 percent of people who OD on opioids and die have chronic pain: Study - UPI.com

Over 60 percent of people who OD on opioids and die have chronic pain: Study - UPI.com: "TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2017 -- More than 60 percent of opioid overdose deaths involve people who suffer from chronic pain, a new analysis reveals.
Many of them also struggled with depression or anxiety, the investigators found.
The findings stem from a study that examined the medical backgrounds of more than 13,000 men and women who died from an opioid overdose between 2001 and 2007.
...The current findings were published online Nov. 28 in the American Journal of Psychiatry."