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- More than 1 in 3 American adults -- 35 percent -- were given painkiller prescriptions by medical providers last year. The total rate of painkiller use is even higher -- 38 percent -- when you factor in the number of adults who obtained painkillers for misuse via other means, from friends or relatives, or via drug dealers.
These numbers come from a recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report that highlights the stunning ubiquity of prescription painkillers in modern American life. The report indicates that in 2015, more American adults used prescription painkillers than used cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or cigars -- combined.