Opioid addiction diagnoses spike 33% in 3 years — which age group is hit hardest?

Source: New York Post

Though national data shows that opioid use disorder (OUD) and deaths from overdose have been trending downward since 2023, new data suggests the opioid epidemic is far from over. Between 2022 to 2025, nearly 33% more people with an addiction to opioid drugs — which include morphine, heroin, pain relievers like oxycodone, and fentanyl — have received a diagnosis of OUD from a doctor. And the age groups hit the hardest are probably not the ones you think.