Death by opioid

The odds of dying from opioid overdose in America have surpassed those of being killed in a motor-vehicle crash. According to a just-released Injury Facts report by the National Safety Council, the lifetime odds of dying by accidental opioid overdose are 1 in 96, compared to 1 in 103 by motor-vehicle crash, which is followed by death by falling (1 in 114). That makes opioid overdose the No. 1 cause of accidental preventable death in the U.S., and the fifth most common preventable cause of death overall, behind heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease and suicide. This is especially sobering news given the recent overdoses in Chico and elsewhere in Northern California (see Editorial, page 4). The numbers are based on 2017 data.