Measuring the Toll of the Opioid Epidemic Is Tougher Than it Seems [propublica.org]

As the opioid epidemic rages across the country, data tracking its evolution often lags far behind.

A few months ago, I set out to compile data on opioid prescribing, overdoses and deaths, as well as treatment options.

It was more difficult than I expected: Much of the data was out of date, some was hard to find and some data contradicted other data, making conclusions difficult. I put the datasets I could find into a tipsheet, which I shared last week at the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting conference in Chicago.

[For more on this story by Charles Ornstein, go to https://www.propublica.org/art...ougher-than-it-seems]

For similar stories, see Increasing Incarceration For Drug Use Doesn’t Help To Combat The Opioid Crisis, Says Pew Report and How America’s prisons are fueling the opioid epidemic.