Use of prescription opioid analgesic among U.S. adults by age and gender 2007-2012
This statistic is based on a survey and displays the percentage of U.S. adults aged 20 years and over that used prescription opioid analgesics in the past 30 days between 2007 and 2012, by age and gender. During this period, 4.2 percent of male adults between the ages of 20 and 39 had used opioid analgesics within the last 30 days. These medications are used as pain treatments after surgery, injury, or certain health conditions such as cancer. Dependence and deaths related to this drug have become a problem in the country as sales and deaths increase.