The facts

• Every 19 minutes, someone dies from an opioid overdose. In Kentucky, four people die from drug overdoses each day, twice as many as those killed in traffic accidents.

• The number of overdose deaths increases 11.5 percent each year.

• The annual cost to the U.S. economy is more than $500 billion, about 3 percent of the Gross National Product.

• Workers abusing opioids miss 29 days of work each year.

• More people die from overdoses than from cancer.

• About 80 percent of addicts do not get the treatment they need.

What is an opioid?

• Legally-prescribed pain relievers, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, are opioids. They are considered safe just for a short time, as prescribed by a physician; but they are highly addictive. Of those at highest risk for overdose: 27 percent use their own prescriptions; 26 percent receive them from friends or relatives; 23 percent buy them from friends or relatives; and 15 percent buy them from a drug dealer.

• Illegal drugs, such as heroin and synthetic fentanyl

This is where we step in. We share the components of recovery with Lifeline clients and with those we connect with across the community through speaking engagements. When we partner with you to change one life, we are helping the whole family. It's a ripple effect as investing in families leads to the strengthening of our communities.