In 2022, an estimated 292 million people worldwide were using illegal drugs, with 60 million consuming opioids such as morphine, codeine, or heroin, according to the latest United Nations World Drug Report. This makes opioids the second most widely used class of illicit drugs, trailing behind cannabis, which has approximately 228 million users.
While cannabis use is more widespread and carries a relatively low risk of addiction, it does not result in overdose deaths. The same cannot be said for the far more potent and dangerous class of opioids. As highlighted in the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), synthetic opioids like fentanyl have become the leading cause of the rising number of drug overdose deaths.