Prescriptions for opioids, such as painkillers, fell for the first time after reaching a peak in 2010, though the amount prescribed in 2015 was still three times higher than in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2015, the amount of opioids prescribed, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, was enough for every American to be medicated around the clock for three weeks.
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