Pbs Learning Media: The Lowdown: The Opioid Epidemic in America Lesson Plan

Opioid use has been declared a national health emergency as overdose deaths from abusing opioids such as oxycodone, morphine and heroin, have skyrocketed in recent years. This class of drugs was once used only to treat severe pain related to cancer. But in the 1990s, doctors began prescribing opioids for less serious conditions, leading to widespread use and eventual addiction in some patients. This Lowdown lesson explores the causes and consequences of the current opioid epidemic, including a chance to view the epidemic through the eyes of fellow teens.