War on drugs




Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with statistics showing 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014.

Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014.5

With that number—47,055 deaths per year—in mind, let’s recall some other historical events and their death tolls:

Korean war: 36,914
Vietnam war: 58,220
9/11: 2,996
Iraq war: 4,486
Afghanistan war: 2,345

That puts overdoses between the Korean and Vietnam wars, but on a yearly basis.

It’s a good thing this death toll from drugs is seldom mentioned, or else folks would have to start thinking about it.

Glen Wilcox
Oak Park



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