“Studies show that soldiers and veterans use opioid painkillers — essentially the
chemical equivalent of heroin — far more frequently than civilians because their military training and combat lead to far more injuries.
A report by the American Public Health Association in 2011 found that the fatal overdose rate among VA patients is nearly double the national average.
Other studies show that people who are prescribed opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.”
Read more at: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/01/18/rising-use-opioid-painkillers-and-efforts-curb-them-may-lead.html
Source: Military.com – January 18, 2016