| Hans-Günter Meyer-Thompson | International
Europa. U.S. opioid crisis could spread to Europe, experts say
LISBON (Reuters) - Europe should heed the threat from opioids responsible for America’s deadliest drug epidemic in decades as both regions have seen rises in prescription rates of such medicines, which can be a gateway to dangerous derivatives, experts said.
(...) Cathy Stannard, a consultant in pain medicine, told the Lisbon Addictions 2017 conference that the “undoubted public health disaster of misuse of prescription opioids” in the U.S. had led to scrutiny of the risks that patients become addicted, or subsequently turn to heroin.
“We (in Europe) are mindful of all the facets of the U.S. conversation, but where we start on this is a very similar increase in prescription rates of opioid medicines.” (Reuters, 26.10.2017)