OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Oklahoma Commission on Opioid Abuse is meeting at the state capitol on Wednesday morning to discuss prevention and intervention of the epidemic.
This is the third meeting since August to address the problem.
In Oklahoma, deaths from opioid overdose have increased in the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 478 people died in 2005 from opioid overdose compared to 725 in 2015.
Despite this increase, the state saw a break from 2014 to 2015, going from 777 deaths to 725. This puts the state in the top 20 of mortality rate resulting from opioid overdose.
Also, President Donald Trump is expected to declare a national emergency on opioid abuse in the country on Wednesday.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., mainly from opioids.
These include synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone and the illegal drug heroin.
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