(Press-News.org) More Americans use illicit opioids such as fentanyl than previously estimated, highlighting the need for better methods to understand the depths of the opioid crisis, according to a new study.
A survey of American adults found that 11% reported illicit opioid use within the past 12 months and 7.5% reported use of illicitly produced fentanyl during the same period, rates that are more than 20 times higher than estimates from a large federal study that annually asks Americans about their use of illicit drugs.
Researchers say the findings add to the evidence that government counts may significantly underestimate illicit drug use and suggest that new methods are necessary to better track a key metric in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. The findings are published in the journal JAMA Health Forum.
“Estimates of illicit opioid use are rare and typically are available only years after the information is collected, limiting our ability to monitor trends on a near-term basis,” said David Powell, the study’s lead author and a senior economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “Our study offers a method to quickly and repeatedly monitor illicit opioid prevalence at low-cost.”
Initially driven by prescription opioids, the opioid crisis in the U.S. transitioned to heroin in the early 2010s and then to illicitly-manufactured fentanyl a few years later.
As the opioid crisis continues to evolve and polysubstance deaths become increasingly common, illegally manufactured fentanyl remains involved in most overdose deaths. Despite the importance of illicit opioids in the current substance-use landscape, relatively little is known about the prevalence of illicit opioid use.
The largest ongoing study that tracks illicit drug use is the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. That study began asking about use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl only in 2022, reporting that 0.3% of adults used the drug that year.
A number of previous studies also have reported higher rates of illicit opioid use, challenging the accuracy of the federal estimate. While researchers say the reasons for the differences are unclear, they suggest it may relate to the way the federal survey asks participants about illicit opioid use.
This includes the fact that about half of the surveys in the federal count are done in person, which may inhibit participants from reporting illicit drug use. Researchers say more work is needed to understand the reason for the differences.
Researchers from RAND and the University of Southern California surveyed 1,515 American adults during June 2024 using a large, representative online panel of Americans. Participants were asked about use of non-prescription opioids within the past 12 months, with heroin and illicitly-manufactured fentanyl given as examples.
A unique aspect of the survey was asking participants about whether they intentionally used illicit opioids, and whether they intentionally or unintentionally used illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
Among those surveyed, 7.7% reported intentional nonprescription opioid use, with another 3.2% reporting unintentional nonprescription opioid use.
Most people who used nonprescription opioids reported illicit fentanyl use. The rate of intentional use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl was 4.9% while the rate of unintentional use of fentanyl was 2.6%.
Among respondents reporting nonprescription opioid use within the past 12 months, 39% reported their first use of opioids involved medication prescribed to them, while 36% reported their first use involved prescription opioids not prescribed to them. The remaining 25% answered that their first exposure to opioids involved illicitly manufactured opioids.
“Ultimately, the data presented here should be treated as a substantive data point for understanding and curtailing the ongoing opioid crisis,” said Mireille Jacobson, the study’s co-author and an economist at the University of Southern California. “More near real-time information is needed to evaluate not only where we are in the epidemic, but, more importantly, whether we are making progress in reining it in.”
One limitation of the survey was the use of an online platform. While similar to national rates in terms of demographics, the surveyed population could be different in unobserved ways. The authors intend to re-examine their findings soon, using a survey platform more robust to these concerns.
Support for the study was provided by Arnold Ventures and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse under award numbers R21DA06011 and 2P50DA046351-06A1. The content in this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
RAND Health Care promotes healthier societies by improving health care systems in the United States and other countries.
END
Americans’ use of illicit opioids is higher than previously reported
Survey finds most people use illicit opioids intentionally
2025-05-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Estimates of illicit opioid use in the U.S.
2025-05-09
About The Study: In this national survey of 1,515 adults conducted in June 2024, 166 respondents (11.0%) reported illicit opioid use and 114 (7.5%) reported illicitly manufactured fentanyl use within the past 12 months. These rates are much higher than previously reported estimates. The findings highlight the need for more timely and accurate data to inform policy and intervention strategies. Enhanced data collection efforts are essential for understanding and mitigating the opioid crisis.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, David Powell, PhD, email dpowell@rand.org.
To ...
Effectiveness and safety of RSV vaccine for U.S. adults age 60 or older
2025-05-09
About The Study: Vaccine effectiveness (VE) for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protein subunit vaccine in this case-control study was similar to the VE in clinical trials. The VE for immunocompromised patients was mildly (overall) to moderately (for stem cell transplant recipients) diminished. Risk of immune thrombocytopenic purpura after vaccination was not elevated, but the risk of Guilain-Barré syndrome was statistically significantly elevated in patients who received the RSVPreF vaccine but not in those who received RSVPreF+AS01 vaccine, although the risk was small. These observations should inform clinicians’ choices ...
Mass General Brigham researchers share tool to improve newborn genetic screening
2025-05-09
More than a decade ago, researchers launched the BabySeq Project, a pilot program to return newborn genomic sequencing results to parents and measure the effects on newborn care. Today, over 30 international initiatives are exploring the expansion of newborn screening using genomic sequencing (NBSeq), but a new study by researchers from Mass General Brigham highlights the substantial variability in gene selection among those programs. In a paper published in Genetics in Medicine, an official journal ...
Can frisky flies save human lives?
2025-05-09
When fruit flies are infected with the Wolbachia bacteria, their sex lives — and ability to reproduce — change dramatically.
Arizona State University scientist Timothy Karr decided to find out why. What he discovered could help curb mosquito-borne diseases and manage crop pests. And that’s just the “tip of the iceberg,” he says.
Promiscuous flies
Wolbachia is a parasitic bacteria that lives inside insect cells. It infects at least two out of every five insect species. Since insects outnumber all other life on Earth, understanding how this bacteria affects them could have wide-ranging impacts.
“Insects rule this planet. Malaria, ...
Heart rhythm disorder traced to bacterium lurking in our gums
2025-05-09
Tempted to skip the floss? Your heart might thank you if you don’t. A new study from Hiroshima University (HU) finds that the gum disease bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart. There, it quietly drives scar tissue buildup—known as fibrosis—distorting the heart’s architecture, interfering with electrical signals, and raising the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Clinicians have long noticed that people with periodontitis, a common form of gum disease, seem more prone to cardiovascular problems. One recent meta-analysis has linked it to a 30% higher risk of ...
American Society of Plant Biologists names 2025 award recipients
2025-05-09
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 awards, which honor distinction in service, outreach, education, and research.
Adolph E. Gude Jr. Award
Brian Larkins, University of Arizona, Tucson
ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology
Marc Albertsen, Manjit Singh, Mark Williams, Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, Iowa
Charles Albert Shull Award
Patrick Shih, University of California, Berkeley
Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award
Sarah (Sally) Assmann, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Mary Lou Guerinot, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Enid MacRobbie Corresponding ...
Protecting Iceland’s towns from lava flows – with dirt
2025-05-09
It had been dormant for 800 years, but in March 2021, the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland came to life. While the eruption was ongoing, large-scale field experiments were conducted to build defensive earthen barriers aimed at slowing down the molten lava flow.
Building defensive barriers to slow down the lava flowing from craters and fissures in the Earth’s crust is something of a race against time. The excavator and bulldozer operators had to work around the clock, shovelling dirt and rocks to build dams and barriers as the glowing hot lava from the eruption crept ever closer.
Delayed lava flow for 16 days
The speed of lava flows is determined by the viscosity of the lava and ...
Noninvasive intracranial source signal localization and decoding with high spatiotemporal resolution
2025-05-09
A research paper by scientists from Tianjin University proposed a noninvasive method for locating and decoding intracranial endogenous signals with high spatiotemporal resolution.
The research paper, published on Apr. 9, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems.
High spatiotemporal resolution of noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG) signals is an important prerequisite for fine brain–computer manipulation. However, conventional scalp EEG has a low spatial resolution due to the volume conductor effect, making it difficult ...
A smarter way to make sulfones: Using molecular oxygen and a functional catalyst
2025-05-09
Sulfones, a class of sulfur-containing compounds, are chemically derived from the selective oxidation of sulfides. While these compounds form the core of the pharmaceuticals, solvents and polymer industries, their chemical synthesis is often hindered by high reaction temperatures and extreme reaction conditions. Additionally, these also require costly additives and harsh solvents for production. Against this backdrop, a team of researchers from Japan introduced a new catalyst design, capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional synthesis, offering higher selectivity and a better yield for sulfones.
The research team, led by Professor ...
Self-assembly of a large metal-peptide capsid nanostructure through geometric control
2025-05-09
Controlling the topology and structure of entangled molecular strands is a key challenge in molecular engineering, particularly when attempting to create large nanostructures that mimic biological systems. Examples found in nature, such as virus capsids and cargo proteins, demonstrate the remarkable potential of such architectures. However, methods for constructing large hollow nanostructures with precise geometric control have remained elusive—until now.
In a recent study, a research team led by Associate ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
UO researcher develops new tool that could aid drug development
Call for abstracts: GSA Connects 2025 invites geoscientists to share groundbreaking research
The skinny on fat, ascites and anti-tumor immunity
New film series 'The Deadly Five' highlights global animal infectious diseases
Four organizations receive funds to combat food insecurity
Ultrasound unlocks a safer, greener way to make hydrogels
Antibiotics from human use are contaminating rivers worldwide, study shows
A more realistic look at DNA in action
Skia: Shedding light on shadow branches
Fat-rich fluid fuels immune failure in ovarian cancer
The origins of language
SNU-Harvard researchers jointly build next-gen swarm robots using simple linked particles
First fossil evidence of endangered tropical tree discovered
New gene linked to severe cases of Fanconi anemia
METTL3 drives oral cancer by blocking tumor-suppressing gene
Switch to two-point rating scales to reduce racism in performance reviews, research suggests
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: May 9, 2025
Stability solution brings unique form of carbon closer to practical application
New research illustrates the relationship between moral outrage on social media and activism
New enzyme capable of cleaving cellulose should revolutionize biofuel production
Krebs von den Lungen-6 as a biomarker for distinguishing between interstitial lung disease and interstitial lung abnormalities based on computed tomography findings
Chimpanzee groups drum with distinct rhythms
Wasp mums use remarkable memory when feeding offspring
Americans’ use of illicit opioids is higher than previously reported
Estimates of illicit opioid use in the U.S.
Effectiveness and safety of RSV vaccine for U.S. adults age 60 or older
Mass General Brigham researchers share tool to improve newborn genetic screening
Can frisky flies save human lives?
Heart rhythm disorder traced to bacterium lurking in our gums
American Society of Plant Biologists names 2025 award recipients
[Press-News.org] Americans’ use of illicit opioids is higher than previously reportedSurvey finds most people use illicit opioids intentionally