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Experts say opioid drug abuse in America has skyrocketed

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – After Investigators said musical artist Prince had prescription pain medication on him when he died, medical experts are now warning that opioid drug abuse is a national crisis.

The federal government said opioid drug abuse has gotten so bad that someone is accidentally overdosing every 19 minutes.

Experts said in 2014, 28,000 people died from overdoses connected to opioids.

“Yeah it’s an epidemic for sure, we’re five percent of the worlds population Americans are, and yet we consume 80 percent of the global supply of opiates,” Omar Manejwala, Doctor.

Opioids reduce pain by switching off pain receptors in the brain.

Some of the pain medications include:

  • Oxycodone
  • Morphine
  • Hydrocodone

An illegal opioid is heroin.

Heroin abuse has increased as well because of the street availability.

“Even when you look at people who are using heroin the vast majority of them now started with pain pills,” Manejwala said.

Manejwala said heroin is currently sending 7,000 people a day to the emergency room.CNN contributed to this report.